Today is the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving Day is a time to reflect and be thankful for all that God has given us. Although we mostly consider Thanksgiving Day to be something that is celebrated only in the United States of America, there are many countries that celebrate a Thanksgiving Day of sorts to celebrate the harvest season.

India celebrates harvest in various regions while Canada celebrates thanksgiving in October. The Chinese Festival of "Chung Ch’ui” is to celebrate the harvest moon. The Jewish feast of Sukkot is also observed during the harvest season. Ancient Egyptians had a feast in honour of Min, the god of harvest and fertility. Other countries such as Germany, Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria and Korea also have thanksgiving and/or harvest festivals. 

Thanksgiving comes from celebrating the beginning of the harvest season. It is a celebration of fruitfulness, which takes me right back to parenting. Becoming a parent is perhaps the ultimate testimony of fruitfulness.

With fruitfulness also comes responsibility. I would like to share a Thanksgiving prayer that I feel is appropriate for anyone taking on parental responsibilities.

The Gift of a Child - Marian Wright Edelman

Dear God, I thank You for the gift of this child to raise, this life to share, this mind to help mold, this body to nurture, and this spirit to enrich. Let me never betray this child’s trust, dampen this child’s hope, or discourage this child’s dreams. Help me, dear God, to help this precious child become all you mean him to be. Let your grace and love fall on him like gentle breezes and give him inner strength and peace and patience for the journey ahead.

Most of all, as a parent I would like to raise a thankful child. Kirstin Mardini on her parenting blog shares her parenting creed which, in my humble opinion, would go a long way in training up a thankful child.

Raising a thankful child - by Kirsten Mardini

I Plan On... A Mother’s Inspiration

I plan on teaching my children on loving instead of judging

I plan on teaching my children on asking instead of answering

I plan on teaching my children on giving instead of receiving

I plan on teaching my children on humbling instead of complaining

I plan on teaching my children on blessing instead of envying

I plan on teaching my children on preparing instead of doing

I plan on teaching my children on helping instead of bullying

I plan on teaching my children on praying instead of worrying

I plan on teaching my children on encouraging instead of belittling

I plan on teaching my children on trying instead of failing

I plan on teaching my children on working instead of dreaming

I plan on teaching my children on sharing instead of keeping

I plan on teaching my children on trusting instead of lying

I plan on teaching my children on experiencing instead of missing

I plan on teaching my children on living their lives to the fullest instead of regretting the rest away!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!