LOST PILGRAMS

If you are 60 years old or older, I don't have to tell you about the pilgrims.  You already know the story of William Bradford and the Puritans or Separatist, later called Pilgrims and how they left England and landed at Cape Cod. You remember how that within the first few months over half of them had died.  You are familiar with how the Indians help by teaching them new ways to farm and raise crops.  And the first Thanksgiving time when they celebrated and worshiped God for His blessing to them.

As a child in school I remember cutting out pilgrims from construction paper and making "place markers" for the people who would be at your Thanksgiving meal.  I especially remember the high black hats and the square buckles that the "men pilgrims" were supposed to wear and the long black dresses, white aprons and white hats that the "lady pilgrims" were supposed to wear. 

I remember gathering with my family and the community on Thanksgiving Day in Calera at a different church each year for the annual Thanksgiving Day service.  Our focus was on "giving thanks to God" for His blessing to us.

But this morning, as Keva and I sat around the breakfast table, I was reminded of something that shocked me. I have always tried to keep the holidays traditional.  We buy those little glass or plastic pilgrim figures at the Dollar Tree and I place them around the house.  We found a cornucopia  and I place it out on the mantel with various kinds of fruits and vegetables. Just stuff to remind us of the Thanksgiving season and it's meaning.

But so far this year I can't find our pilgrims.  I looked in the attic, I looked in the closet, I even looked in the barn....but no pilgrims. I know I'm getting old and forgetful but how could I have lost the pilgrims. We just had them here a year ago.   But I'm reminded that our little pilgrims are not the only ones that have been lost.

Thanksgiving today has almost been overshadowed by the Christmas season.  It's only the 8th day of November and the City of Clanton along with many other cities have already put up their community Christmas tree.  "Happy Turkey Day" is heard all around instead of "Happy Thanksgiving".  To be honest, we have forgotten as a nation and as individuals how to be thankful and Whom we should be thankful to. (I hope that sentence made sense.)  After all, Thanksgiving doesn't "market" nearly as well as Christmas. Basically, we have not only lost the pilgrims from Thanksgiving but we have lost the "Thanks" from our Thanksgiving. 

I'm going to look again this weekend.  I'll go to the storm shelter, I'll dig through some boxes, I'll look under the bed and I will find our pilgrims.  But I'm not as confident about our nation finding our "thanks". 

Hey, do your part this year.  Go on a scavenger hunt and seek out the pilgrims.  Find them and remember their story and then somewhere and sometime this holiday season, give thanks for what the Giver has given you.