“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.”
I’ve noticed a trend. People are starting to call Thanksgiving, “Friendsgiving”. I’m not really sure what the name is supposed to imply—other than the obvious friends getting together for Thanksgiving rather than family?—but it certainly does not carry with it the same connotations that the word “Thanksgiving” carries with it.
My question is, why would we want to take out the word “thanks” from “Thanksgiving” (regardless of the more harmless reasons)? What’s wrong with the word “thanks”? It’s kinda the point? Is it offensive? Can a word as simple as “thanks” be considered politicly incorrect?
Now, I know that the same thing has been done to Christmas. The word, “Christ” has been co-opted because people say that everyone is not Christian and and therefore the name “Christ” in Christmas is offensive or insensitive (still ridiculous). But, “thanks”?
Thinking about it some, I’ve realized something. The word “thanks” carries with it a lot of implications. It’s a word that demands humility. One cannot be thankful without being humble. Thankfulness comes from a realization that if it hadn’t have been for someone else, we would not be where we are. Thankfulness cannot exist without the existence of someone to be thankful to, which requires humility.
Thankfulness also implies that we have something to be thankful for. For many people, simply admitting that they have something to be thankful for is itself a humbling statement and realization.
Today, unthankfulness pervades this society. We can never have enough. There’s always some reason to be dissatisfied, disgruntled, upset and the like. We seek out someone or something to blame for any problems in our own lives, and blame never coincides with thankfuleness. In fact, blame is the antonym of thankfulness.
Consider those complaining and yelling at the rich today, blaming the rich for their problems, for oppression, for systemic prejudices. How would the story of those who blame change if they paused for a moment and simply said what they were thankful for?
Consider the ways the news media is constantly telling us what is wrong with America, pointing out inequalities, flaws and reasons to be disgruntled with someone or something. We’re constantly being told we need something we don’t have, that we’re oppressed or held back by this group or that group, that we’re missing something and incomplete in some way. (It’s a smart tactic. How politically active are people who are relatively satisfied with their lives?)
But, as the quote at the beginning of this blog post said, thanksgiving undermines discontent and dissatisfaction—traits that are necessary to eliminate liberty and ease in socialism.
You see, everyone, every living, human being, no matter their state in life—in the depths of despair, in the depths of poverty, on top of the world’s wealthiest elite, in positions of power, wherever they may be—has something to be thankful for.
They are alive.
The mere fact that they have breath in their lungs is cause to be thankful.
Which brings me back to my initial question. What is so offensive about the word “thanks?” Don’t we all appreciate being able to go around the table and say what, or typically, who we’re thankful for? Is that not a blessing? We can be thankful for life, for friends and family, for liberty, for food and shelter, health and the list goes on. It’s always unique and specific to every individual.
Consider, when we say we’re thankful for a loved one, who are we thankful to?
And that’s really the crux of it isn’t it? We have to be thankful to someone. People can’t handle that. It’s humbling to admit that in order to be thankful, even for something as simple as life, they must admit that they are not in control of having that life and are not in control of the life of a loved one. Someone else is.
God is.
Thankfulness implies that there is a God to be thankful to and that we are not in control of everything.
That my friends, is a humbling realization, and one that many Americans today are trying more and more to run away from.
For the extremists who want communism and socialism, thankfulness and God, cannot exist. How can one be thankful and oppressed? Oppression and thankfulness don’t mix that well. Humanism and communism mix beautifully.
I pray that, this Thanksgiving, we reject the urge to complain and gripe about all the turmoil that has been plaguing the country this year and realize that, if there ever was a time to be thankful for life, loved ones and liberty, this is the time.
And yes, in our thankfulness we must acknowledge that we don’t control everything, that we don’t keep ourselves or our loved ones alive and that we don’t even control the fate of this great nation.
This quote by Nick Vuljicic summarizes this blog post: “I never met a bitter person who was thankful. Or a thankful person who was bitter.”
Ah yes, this nation is being turned into a bitter nation but we were established a thankful nation.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It may seem like just another Thanksgiving, just a little thing…but friends, it is not.
I’ll end with this quote:
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
The Liberty Belle