In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving one week earlier to help boost the economy. (I guess Black Friday was important back then, too!) But his plan backfired big time! Chaos broke out: some states followed the new date, others stuck to the traditional one, and a few (like Texas) just celebrated both. People were confused, businesses didn’t know what to plan for, and the holiday lost its meaning for many.
Sometimes, in our rush to get more done…to gain more, buy more, achieve more…we forget the very purpose of gratitude. Roosevelt meant well, but by tampering with tradition to make more room for shopping, the true spirit of Thanksgiving got lost in the shuffle.
How often do we do the same? In trying to optimize every second of our lives, we sometimes squeeze out the sacred. We crowd our calendars with productivity and push rest and gratitude to the margins.
This Thanksgiving, let me encourage you to stop amidst the rush. Take a moment. Give space for your heart and your mind to recognize the reason for every good thing in our lives.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
Gratitude doesn’t need extra shopping days. It needs margin. It needs attention. Don’t let your Thanksgiving (or your life) be ruled by hurry. Take time to be still. Celebrate on purpose. Be thankful, even when the schedule says otherwise.
Yours in faith,
Roy Ice
