I am thankful...

Thanksgiving is less than 24 hours away. Turkeys and cranberry sauce being prepared across the United States. Just two of the traditional foods that have managed to stay on the menu since that first dinner in 1621. In a peaceful gathering, the Wampanoag tribe and the pilgrims gathered and shared a meal but things wouldn't remain peaceful.

As  a Native American, this is not a day that has always been viewed as something to celebrate but also something to remember, to mourn, and to learn from. As greed from material possessions took over, war began. Many Native Americans were killed, raped and infected. When William Trent saw ,in 1763, that he may be losing the war, he commissioned the handing out of blankets from a hospital infected with smallpox. They were distributed among tribes that had no medicine or access to medicine, wiping out Native American men, women and children. As the settlers took over, more of our people were moved West and you know the stories of the trail of tears.

So what about Thanksgiving? Many tribes, especially those close to plymouth actually fast on this day. While many elsewhere celebrate, they acutally mourn.

We must never forget the lessons that can be learned from such tragedy. We must also not let it harden our hearts. My family and I celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We sit down, enjoy a peaceful meal and we remeber to give thanks. We are thankful for a heritage that reminds us to be kind, to be helpful. There is no question as to what was done to Native Americans and how wrong it was. There is also no question as to what the Native Americans did and how right it was. They helped a people, on the verge of starvation. They showed them how to survive, they fed them, and they welcomed them. In return, they were hurt by the very people they tried to help. This is unfortunately how the world still works in many ways. Just as the pilgrims turned around and caused harm to the very people that helped them, we often find ourselves doing that today. It's our sinful nature to hurt one another, intentional or not.

The greatest lesson, don't stop helping. We have to keep moving forward. We have to be of service and help one another, always giving back and living for the greater good. When we stop helping and start blaming, we find a breakdown in common humanity and if you don't believe me, look around.You can't miss the fighting, the wars, the judging one another, the battles, and the ones left behind. Those things are all too common.

We have to go back to peaceful, to thankful, to grateful, not just posting 24 days of something good on facebook, but practicing 365 days a year through our actions. To love one another, it is part of the greatest commandment. This isn't about letting go of what happened in 1621, but learning from it.

This Thanksgiving, are you ready to be truly grateful and thankful? Are you so thankful and grateful that you are willing to give some back? Are you ready to leave fingerprints?

A Grateful Believer in Jesus Christ
~Johnna