A French proverb states, “Gratitude is the heart’s memory.” Many years before that, Aesop wrote, “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls” (550 B.C.). Throughout the years, an attitude of thanksgiving has been recognized as a reflection of the person we are inside.
According to tradition, the English Pilgrims, who had founded the Plymouth Colony in what is today the State of Massachusetts, celebrated the first American Thanksgiving in 1621. The Pilgrims marked the occasion by feasting with their Native American guests—members of the Wampanoag tribe—who brought gifts of food as a gesture of goodwill. Although this event was an important part of American colonial history, there is no evidence that any of the participants thought of the feast as a thanksgiving celebration. Two years later, during a period of drought, a day of fasting and prayer was changed to one of thanksgiving because rains came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed among New Englanders to annually celebrate Thanksgiving after the harvest. As the years passed, the event became a national holiday, and in 1941 it was legally decreed an event to be celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November.
While our nation celebrates a day of Thanksgiving annually, the Christian should give thanks continually. “Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Ephesians 5:20). “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). No matter our circumstances, in Christ we can always have a heart filled with gratitude for the rich blessings we have from God in Him, for today and eternally. None of our earthly problems can compare to the eternal glory we share in Christ (Romans 8:18).
Since every day is a day of God’s blessings to us, every day should be a day of thanksgiving from us to Him. As mentioned before, an attitude of thanksgiving is a reflection of the person we are inside. Make it a part of each day to look for God’s blessings, and what a difference it makes in how each day is lived. Does your life reflect this sign of a noble soul?
