Thanksgiving wasn't always a holiday celebrated nation wide. This country was divided by disputes and ever growing fissures of indifference within congress and Presidents (more than one) who were scorned by a country divided. Each person took up an opinion where "they knew what needed to be done to repair the continuing strife" because somehow they were speaking the "truth".

In 1827, the noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale-author, among countless other things, of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb"-launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving a national holiday. For 36 years she tried to bring governors, senators, presidents and politicians together to be unified for one day of celebration and Thankfulness. Finally in 1863, Abraham Lincoln heeded her request, at the height of one of the darkest hours in American history, in proclaiming and pleading with all Americans to ask God "to commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife" and to "heal the wounds of the nation." As a result he scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November.

With our nation once again enduring division not unlike previous Thanksgivings, is it not time to ask God to "commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers, and to heal the wounds of the nation?"

Make this Thanksgiving a day of thankfulness for what we have and not for what we think we deserve.

rb

For those leaders who want to understand graciousness in victory, gratefulness and perspective bigger than one's self check out the short interview with Coach K after becoming the all time winningest college basketball coach.