It's finally November! To me, the onset of November has always symbolized one thing - Thanksgiving! There are many things about early November that I've always enjoyed. I love the change of weather, the fall decorations, the anticipation of celebrating both Christmas and my 3 little siblings' birthdays; but most of all, at the beginning of November, the excitement that looms most in my mind is that of Thanksgiving.
Every holiday, in my opinion, has its own magic, and Thanksgiving is no exception. The fun times spent with my mother cooking yummy things all day, the delicious smells that permeate the house, the relaxing and happy atmosphere, the sight of my entire family all together again; Thanksgiving holds a special place in my heart, indeed.
I thought it fitting, as I was waxing nostalgic about the holiday, to look up its origins. I was surprised by what I found. While the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, it would be hundreds of years later before it was observed by every state in the nation. This was largely due to the efforts of one woman, Sarah Josepha Hale. She campaigned and wrote letters to politicians - including 5 spearate presidents - trying to make it an official holiday, for nearly forty years! She finally succeeded under President Lincoln's administration.
Can you imagine? Spending 40 years working for something you believe in, and not seeing any results until the end? What if she had stopped writing letters after 5 years, or 10, or 20? November might be a very different month in America. Her persistence is inspiring to me, to say the least.
I wonder if we would be that persistent in going after the things that God has placed on our hearts. Of course we know in our heads that God will never leave us, and that He is always working behind the scenes for our good. And, in many cases, we also know that God has called us to do something in particular, too. But we want it done on our timetable, and if it doesn't happen within that particular timeframe, so often we give up, assuming that we must have misheard God, or maybe He just changed His mind and didn't tell us.
But God is not a God of confusion. He will not lead you wandering around with no direction. Even when the Israelites were in the desert, they had the pillars of cloud and fire to tell them exactly where they needed to go. So if you are feeling discouraged, if you are feeling like what God has called you to do will never happen, take heart! Remember that He is always with you, He will always guide you, He will always take care of you; sometimes it just takes a lot of persistence and patience to see the results!
Every holiday, in my opinion, has its own magic, and Thanksgiving is no exception. The fun times spent with my mother cooking yummy things all day, the delicious smells that permeate the house, the relaxing and happy atmosphere, the sight of my entire family all together again; Thanksgiving holds a special place in my heart, indeed.
I thought it fitting, as I was waxing nostalgic about the holiday, to look up its origins. I was surprised by what I found. While the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, it would be hundreds of years later before it was observed by every state in the nation. This was largely due to the efforts of one woman, Sarah Josepha Hale. She campaigned and wrote letters to politicians - including 5 spearate presidents - trying to make it an official holiday, for nearly forty years! She finally succeeded under President Lincoln's administration.
Can you imagine? Spending 40 years working for something you believe in, and not seeing any results until the end? What if she had stopped writing letters after 5 years, or 10, or 20? November might be a very different month in America. Her persistence is inspiring to me, to say the least.
I wonder if we would be that persistent in going after the things that God has placed on our hearts. Of course we know in our heads that God will never leave us, and that He is always working behind the scenes for our good. And, in many cases, we also know that God has called us to do something in particular, too. But we want it done on our timetable, and if it doesn't happen within that particular timeframe, so often we give up, assuming that we must have misheard God, or maybe He just changed His mind and didn't tell us.
But God is not a God of confusion. He will not lead you wandering around with no direction. Even when the Israelites were in the desert, they had the pillars of cloud and fire to tell them exactly where they needed to go. So if you are feeling discouraged, if you are feeling like what God has called you to do will never happen, take heart! Remember that He is always with you, He will always guide you, He will always take care of you; sometimes it just takes a lot of persistence and patience to see the results!
Deuteronomy 29:1-6
These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb. 2 Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. 3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders. 4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. 5 Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. 6 You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the Lord your God.”
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