Think for thanks

From: Ben Kelley
Subject: Think for thanks

Two days ago we celebrated a day which we, in the United States, call "Thanksgiving." Those of us who are more advanced in years know it began as a day in which the early Pilgrim settlers in this land gave thanks to Almighty God for seeing them through a harsh winter and some very rough times since their arrival. One of the things they were thankful for was the help God had given them through what they called the Indians. (actually, these native American people were given this name erroneously by Christopher Columbus, who, when he first reached this continent, thought he had landed in the country of India.) Anyway, these "Indians" had helped the Pilgrims by teaching them to plant crops and hunt for food, enabling them to survive in this land that was so new to them. The Pilgrims realized it was their God Who had sent this help in the form of these earlier American peoples. Thanksgiving was first a day for giving thanks to God, from Whom all our blessings come.

I said earlier that we of more advanced years know these facts, because for the last few decades American school children have been taught the Pilgrims gathered to thank the "Indians." A recent study of 60 school textbooks on social sciences for 10th grade students revealed not one mention of any religious act and all taught the above mentioned lie about the first "Thanksgiving." God is no longer a part of Thanksgiving, much the same as is being done with Christmas. Recent TV commercials have prominent Americans (Donald Trump and several others) saying, "yes children, Santa Claus is real," and then going on to say we must get back the "real meaning" of Christmas, as if Santa and getting gifts is what it's about. What a bunch of lies is being foisted off on our young people! No wonder they see nothing special about these two holidays, because the "holy" is being taken out and we're left with just another two days they don't have to go to school ( see, we've even changed it from holy days to holidays). If you don't believe what I'm saying, borrow your childrens' (or a neighbor kid's) school books and check for yourself.

It's really not so hard to get back to the true way, though, and it stems from the root word for "thanks."

thanks • plural noun (1) an expression of gratitude. (2) another way of saying thank you

— ORIGIN Old English, related to THINK

Did you get that? thanking stems from thinking! If any of us will take the time to just "think" of all we have and are, we will realize all that didn't come from us. We will realize there is a "higher power" and when we search for that power with a true heart, we will find it is the God of the Bible, and we will take our "thinking" and turn it into "thanking." We don't give "thanks" often, because we don't "think" very often about how we came to have and be all we have and are. Even hard core evolutionists, when they really sit down and think, realize someone or something had to have planned, designed, and created all the intricacies of the human body, plus all the marvels of the world and universe. Thinking on all these things brings them back to the realization there is a God. If they continue thinking about it, they will come to the realization they owe thanks to that God. If any of us think long and hard of how we are made and how God has blessed us, we will turn to thank Him for His indescribable blessings. It is only when we fail to think on our blessings that we fail to thank God for them. The same holds true in our dealings with other people. If we don't think about all they do for us, we will merely take those things for granted, as if they are owed to us, but, if we think on all they do, we will begin to thank them for those things.

I'm asking you to take some time today, preferably right now, to think about all God has done for and given to you. As you think of each thing, such as that breath you just took, you will begin to thank our God and Father for them. Take time to think for thanks!

I think of you, my brothers and sisters in the family of God, and I thank Him for you. God bless and keep you in your walk on this earth. I'll see you in Heaven!

Ben