MY POINT OF VIEW: Be thankful for what you have in this tough year

by Gary Kennedy

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a cheery time of year. We get time off from work and time is allowed to join with family and friends to give thanks for all we have received this year. All this is great in theory but what if your year has been a difficult one? I think many of us can say that 2022 has been a very hard and difficult year. Sometimes it is difficult to separate the positives from negatives. However, the test of character allows us to stop and look at all that is and to separate the positives from negatives. When this is done one will discover that there is much to be thankful for.

When all is said and done we must turn to the supreme architect and let Him know that we understand his plan and thank Him for having one. This is the plan that gives you and I a place in the greater glory in the gift he has waiting for the loyal among us. Realizing that the grave is not the end of things is such a wonderful gift.

Our world lately seems to be crumbling apart and this has weighed heavily on us. Some have let this consume them and give into the darkness. This is because they are weak in spirit and have lost sight of the gift of everlasting life. If you have family or friends that are harboring these negative feelings it’s your duty to step in and lend a hand. You both will feel so much better for it. Acts of love and kindness do not go unnoticed.

The traditional Thanksgiving with Pilgrims and Indians, is pretty much how we perceive Thanksgiving. We also know that the repast is turkey with stuffing and vegetables with mince meat pie for desert. It is a given, without knowing the who, what or why of it. I grew up in farming and logging community. I know that mince meat pie is made from the neck of venison but most people today don’t know that. Many hunters will throw the very tasty neck meat away because it is difficult to harvest. Many of the old secrets are lost in time.

It was George Washington, father of our country, and a Master Mason who set the 26th of November 1789 aside as Thanksgiving, but not to give praise for our bounty but to give thanks for the adaptation of U.S. Constitution. He also enjoined people to unite in a most humbly offering of our prayers and supplications asking God to pardon our transgressions. Thanksgiving didn’t become a permanent official U.S. holiday until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president in 1939. Both presidents were Master Masons. Since the beginning of the U.S.A. we have had 14 Master Masons as presidents. It seems fitting as Masonry is the oldest fraternity known. There you have it; you just learned one of the secrets of the Masonic order.

So Thursday, November 24, we will all be enjoying family and friends and great food and drink. Remember what it is all about and enjoy this great day with those you care about but be ever mindful of the millions that won’t have what you are about to enjoy. Pray for the less fortunate and share where and whatever you can. Give a special thanks to the veteran who has allowed this all to be possible and always remember those who gave the supreme sacrifice. Have a great Thanksgiving Day and God be with you all.