Thanksgiving - The Day After
No longer thankful

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Our family is scattered around the country. Unable to travel to be with family, we decided to go to a local restaurant for Thanksgiving Dinner. We arrived at the restaurant and were promptly seated. As the waitress approached the table she said, "Happy Turkey Day!"  I thought it a little strange since the restaurant marquee advertised for a Thanksgiving Buffet. We finished our meal and headed home. On the way we made a brief stop for a couple of necessities. As we were checking out the cashier said, "I hope you're having a nice Turkey Day."

Time doesn't let me go into the history of Thanksgiving Day but what's this "Turkey Day" thing? As I pondered the question, I realized for someone to say "Happy Thanksgiving" implied there is Someone to whom we are to be thankful. When a person says "Happy Turkey Day", it removes the idea of a God to whom we are to be thankful and and the necessity to be thankful.

Changing the day to "Turkey Day" betrays our history, denies the existence of God and infers the lack of gratitude. In this year when the emphasis on morals is on the rise, here is an insidious attack on the source of all morals and values. The next time someone say to you "Happy Turkey Day" take a moment to remind them its a day of Thanksgiving to God for all the blessing we receive everyday.

In the Bible we read: "Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands...Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. [Psalm 100:1, 4] 'Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing." [Psalm 107:22] "I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD." [Psalm 116:17]

The Apostle Paul in Romans said, "because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened [1:21]. He goes on to say in the first chapter of Romans to show the progression from knowing God to a totally godless, immoral society. It all begins with the man's unwillingness to be thankful to his creator. Why? Other scriptures tell us that thanksgiving is a "sacrifice of praise."  Man is not willing to sacrifice his glory to give glory to God. Man is not willing to turn the attention away from self and focus on God. The result is "Happy Turkey Day!" Stand up and be counted, tell the next person who says that to you "it's not Turkey Day but Thanksgiving Day." I feel sorry for people who have nothing for which to be thankful.  

Lasted edited on
08/05/2008