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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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