A Thanksgiving Day Story Children’s...
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1 A Thanksgiving Day Story Children’s Story Good morning and welcome and Happy Thanksgiving. Our story today is about the history of how Thanksgiving Day came to be. Let’s listen now. How Thanksgiving Came to Be The family had just finished their big turkey dinner. Young Nathaniel, swallowing his last bite of pumpkin pie, ran to Grandpapa’s lap and jumped up on it. “Grandpapa, do you like pumpkin pie?” With a chuckle, he replied, “Why, it’s my favorite. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without it.” “Grandpapa, why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? It’s not like Christmas where we celebrate Jesus and give presents. We don’t have Easter egg hunts or shoot fireworks. We just go to church and have a big dinner.” “Nathaniel, that’s a very good question. Would you like to hear the story of how we came to celebrate Thanksgiving?” He loved Grandpapa’s stories. “Yes,” he said. “Let’s start from the beginning. More than four hundred years ago, many people in England were very unhappy because their king said they must use the same prayers that he did, even if they had different ones. “Can a king do that?” asked Nathaniel. “Back then he could. He threatened to put them in jail or take away their homes if they didn’t.
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Transcript of A Thanksgiving Day Story Children’s...
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AThanksgivingDayStoryChildren’sStory
GoodmorningandwelcomeandHappyThanksgiving.Ourstory
todayisaboutthehistoryofhowThanksgivingDaycametobe.Let’s
listennow.
HowThanksgivingCametoBe
Thefamilyhadjustfinishedtheirbigturkeydinner.Young
Nathaniel,swallowinghislastbiteofpumpkinpie,rantoGrandpapa’s
lapandjumpeduponit.“Grandpapa,doyoulikepumpkinpie?”
Withachuckle,hereplied,“Why,it’smyfavorite.Thanksgiving
wouldn’tbethesamewithoutit.”
“Grandpapa,whydowecelebrateThanksgiving?It’snotlike
ChristmaswherewecelebrateJesusandgivepresents.Wedon’thave
Easteregghuntsorshootfireworks.Wejustgotochurchandhavea
bigdinner.”
“Nathaniel,that’saverygoodquestion.Wouldyouliketohear
thestoryofhowwecametocelebrateThanksgiving?”
HelovedGrandpapa’sstories.“Yes,”hesaid.
“Let’sstartfromthebeginning.Morethanfourhundredyearsago,
manypeopleinEnglandwereveryunhappybecausetheirkingsaid
theymustusethesameprayersthathedid,eveniftheyhaddifferent
ones.
“Canakingdothat?”askedNathaniel.
“Backthenhecould.Hethreatenedtoputtheminjailortake
awaytheirhomesiftheydidn’t.
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“SomeoftheEnglishmensaidtoeachother,‘Letusgoawayfrom
thiscountry.’Itwashardforthemtoleavetheirhomelandbutthey
knewintheirheartsthatitwasimportanttohavefreedomofreligion.
So,theywenttothecountrycalledHolland.
“Here,theywerehappyforawhile,buttheywereverypoor.
TheirchildrenstartedspeakingDutchanditseemedthefamilieswere
losingtheirEnglishtraditions.
"’Thiswillneverdo,’saidtheparents.Aftermuchdiscussionthey
decidedtocomeheretoAmerica,andthisiswhypeoplecallthem
‘Pilgrims.’"
Nathanielasked,“Whatdoespilgrimmean?”
“Itreferstopeoplewhojourneytoasacredplaceforreligious
reasons,”Grandpapasaid.
“Afterovercomingmanychallenges,theytraveledontheshipthe
Mayflower.Theshipwassmall,andtherewereonehundredpeopleon
board,includingmothers,fathers,andchildren.Theweatherwascold
andtheseawasrough,pitchingtheMayflowerbackandforthsomuch
thatitwasdifficultforthemtosleep.”
“Howlongweretheyontheship?”askedNathaniel.
“Morethantwomonths.And,theyhadbeenlivingontheshipfor
nearlyamonthandahalfbeforeitsailed.
“Theconditionswerechallenging,butonegreatthinghappened
onboard.Inthemiddleofbeingintheoceanababywasborn.Hewas
named‘Oceanus,’afterhisplaceofbirth.Whenthechildrenhadnothing
todo,theywouldplaywithOceanus,whichalwaysbroughtsmilesback
totheirfaces.
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“Finally,onNovember9,1620,theysightedland.”
“Yay,”shoutedyoungNathaniel.“Nowthechildrencouldplayand
gotoschool.”
“Notrightaway,”repliedgrandpapa.Itwascoldandtherewere
nohouses.Beforetheylefttheship,theleaderscreatedawrittenform
ofgovernmentcalledtheMayflowerCompact.Whentheyfinallywalked
offtheMayflower,whatdoyouthinktheydidfirst?”
“Theystretched,”answeredNathanielinnocently.
Grandpapachuckled,“Yes,theymighthavedonethatbutthen
theyprayed.AllthepeoplekneltandthankedGodforprotectingthem
ontheirjourney.
“Duringthatfirstyear,thePilgrimsworkedthroughvery
challengingconditionsofillnessandextremelycoldweathertobuild
homesandfindfood.SomefriendlyIndians,includingSquantowho
spokeEnglish,taughtthemhowtohuntandplant.
“Twelvemonthslater,whenitwasautumn,thefathersgathered
thebarley,wheatandcornthattheyhadplanted.Ithadgrownsowell
thattheywouldhavequiteenoughforthenextlongwinter.
"’LetusthankGodforhisabundance,’theysaid.Sothefamilies
andleadersthankedGodintheirhomesandintheirlittlechurch.
"Then,themotherssaid,‘LetushaveagreatThanksgivingfeast,
andinvitethefriendlyIndians,andallrejoicetogether.’
“SotheyhadthefirstThanksgivingpartyintheautumnof1621.
Andagrandoneitwas!TheyallthankedGodforhisgoodness.”
“So,thatiswhywecelebrateThanksgiving?”askedNathaniel.
“That’sonlyonereason.”
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“There’smore?”askedanastonishedNathaniel.
Grandpapaanswered,“Alittle,butjustasimportant.People
honoredthatfirstThanksgivingbutitwasn’tarealholiday.Morethana
hundredyearslaterthecountryhadgrown,foughtawarforitsfreedom
andelectedGeorgeWashingtonastheirfirstpresident.
“In1789,somemembersofgovernmentwantedPresident
WashingtontodeclareadayofgivingpublicthanksgivingtoAlmighty
Godforalltheirblessings.Butsomepeoplethoughtthatifthe
governmentwasinvolvedintheirworship,itwouldtakeawaytheir
religiousfreedoms.”
Nathanielinterrupted,“That’swhythePilgrimsleftEngland,
wasn’tit?”
“Yes,andtheirchildren’schildrenhadheardthosestoriesand
didn’twantthattohappentothem.Washingtonunderstoodthe
importanceofreligiousfreedom,butalsorecognizedtheimportanceof
givinggratitudetoGod.So,whenhegavehisproclamation,hemadeit
knownthatstatesandpeoplecouldhonoritinawaythatwasagreeable
tothem.”
“Thatwasasmartthingtodo,”saidNathaniel.“Whatdidhis
procla---
“Proclamation,”helpedGrandpapa.
“Yes,whatdidthisproclamationsay?”
“WashingtonproclaimedtoallAmericanpeopletoacknowledge
theprotectivecareofAlmightyGodandtoobeyhiswillandtobe
gratefulforallhisbenefits.Heproclaimedthisdaytobeoneofgiving
thanksforapeacefulcountryandtheConstitutionthattheycreatedas
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thelawofthelandandthatguaranteedtheirreligiousfreedom.”
Nathanielsaid,“So,that’swhywecelebrateThanksgiving?”
“Yes,itwasthesecondreason,butitstillwasn’tanofficialholiday.
In1863,theUnitedStateswasinaterriblewar.Manypeoplewanted
thenationtobeatpeaceandhaveanofficialdayofThanksgiving.On
October3,1863,PresidentAbrahamLincolnissuedaproclamation
settingasidethelastThursdayinNovemberasanationaldayofthanks.
And,that’swhywecelebrateThanksgivingtodayasaNationalholiday.”
Nathanielsaid,“IamgratefultothosebravePilgrimsandto
GeorgeWashingtonforhisprocla—ma—tionandforPresidentLincoln
makingitaholiday.I’mgladwegaveourprayerstoday.”Nathaniel
paused.
“And,I’mreallythankfulthatpumpkinpieisapartofThanksgiving.I’ll
gogetusapiecenow.Thatstorymademehungry.”Nathanieljumped
offhisGrandpapa’slapandstartedtoracetothekitchen.Suddenlyhe
stoppedandturnedbackaround.“Thanks,Grandpapa,fortellingme
aboutthetruemeaningofThanksgiving.I’mgratefulforyou.”
ThenheranoffasGrandpapasmiledandwipedatearfromhis
cheekandwhispered,“And,I’mgratefultoGodforyou,too.”
CONCLUSION:
OurbelovedSaintGermaintoldusthatthefirstThanksgivingDay
wasadirectresultoftheeternalandinfinitegratitudeintothehuman
heartbytheHolySpirit.Itwascalledforthbytheloveoffreedom.It
wasanoverflowingoftheinnercupofgratitudeandjoyinthedevout
heartsofthoseearlyandhardyPilgrimfathers(BelovedSaintGermain,Pearls
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ofWisdom®,Vol.2No.46,November20,1959). Beforeweleavetoday,let’sgowithinourheartsandquietly
expressgratitudetoGodforourfreedomandallthegiftsfromGod.
(Pauseforabout10–15seconds.)
Let’sendbystandingandsaying,“Hear,OUniverseIAMGrateful.”
(Recite3x.)
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