by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com
Train up a child…
A Meaningful Thanksgiving for Children
Children sometimes get criticism they may not deserve. Many will say that children simply don’t appreciate what they have. Perhaps that is not their fault. Many have not seen examples of thankfulness and have not been encouraged to be thankful.
How can we help children be thankful? First of all, we need to set the example for them. Knowing some of the history involved in the beginning of the holiday can also be helpful. Here is the proclamation of George Washington for Thanksgiving. It would be good for children who are able to copy this in their own handwriting.
[New York, 3 October 1789]
By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us. and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
It would be well to remind children of the many things people of that time did not have that we have today, yet they were thankful. They had no vaccines for smallpox, diphtheria, polio, scarlet fever, and tuberculosis yet they were thankful. They had no computers, plastic, nylon, schools or textbooks such as we have yet they were thankful.
Later, Abraham Lincoln made a similar proclamation that can be found on the Internet. Let’s make sure our children know the background of giving thanks to God by our nation.
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Note: Tuesday, November 24, I will be telling the story of Squanto for the morning devotional from First Baptist Church in Kimberling City. You can go to You Tube and type in Pat Lamb devotional and get it. It will be at 9:00 A.M. but will remain available to view later. Squanto was only 14 years old when he was captured and taken to Europe. A very good story for children.