Daily Devotion - Tuesday, November 23

Moving Toward A National Holiday

A day of celebration is just hours away. A day to remember a festive moment from our patchwork quilt of American history. A day to focus on a time when people of very different ethnic and religious/spiritual traditions took time to give thanks and enjoy the fruit of fall harvests. A day when it didn't matter what the color or creed of a fellow inhabitant was. A day when giving thanks was done in unity. A day when the celebration was about bountiful blessings and common humanity.

Can we celebrate this week in that kind of a spirit? I hope so. In the 1600's there was an Anglican Bishop by the name of Jeremy Taylor. I like what he had to say:

"The private and personal blessings we enjoy,
the blessings of immunity, safeguard, liberty and integrity
deserve the thanksgiving of a whole lifetime."

Life thankfully – today, this week, for a lifetime.

--Ben Keckler
11.23.10