Article November 21, 1988 Issue

The Bible—guide to our pilgrim steps

The Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving out of gratitude for God's guidance and care. This can be the theme of our Thanksgiving, too.

Frances L. West

Thanksgiving in the United States is a day of gratitude. It's a time when families gather in reunion, when proclamations stressing gratitude to God for blessings are made by the President and by state governors, and when many churches hold special Thanksgiving services in gratitude for God's goodness during the year.

The original Thanksgiving, as every American schoolchild learns, was celebrated by the Pilgrims who, after a long and rough ocean crossing from Europe, endured a terrible winter in New England and then, aided by friendly Indians, reaped a desperately needed harvest.

What sustained those early settlers through days of trial and terror? Surely their understanding and trust in God gleaned through their study of the Bible and their obedience to its teachings. The family Bible, large and heavy, often bound with metal clasps, recorded the births, marriages, and passings of those years. It was a treasured possession. The early settlers turned to it for guidance when there were decisions to make and when they needed comfort.

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