Compass Points - To Give Thanks

A day for gratitude and prayer

Compass Points - To Give Thanks

A day for gratitude and prayer

November 28, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is a good day to reflect on a long roster of blessings. In a dangerous world, the ongoing peace, prosperity, and safety of the United States begins with all those who serve in uniform -- yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The blessing of home, family, and community could not exist without having a few stand posts for freedom around the world. Thank you for your sacrifice and service.

Compass Points is grateful for all readers who in their own ways are continuing to build the discussion about a stronger Marine Corps and is thankful particularly for all our readers who routinely serve as seminar leaders by providing topics, articles, and comments. It is the professional and insightful comments from so many that expand the discussion and debate. Many thanks!

As a Nation, the United States has decided to move in a new direction. The Marine Corps will soon have new leadership at the Department of the Navy, at the Department of Defense, in Congress, and in the White House. As Thanksgiving prayers are said this year, let us include prayers that these new leaders will understand the special role the Marine Corps fulfills in national security and understand also that the Marine Corps needs to be updated, restored, and enhanced.

Arriving at the decisions that will keep the United States peaceful, prosperous, and safe will take much discussion and some debate. On this Thanksgiving it is good to look back in history and see that while we may face challenges today, it has always been so.

William Bradford and the pilgrims barely survived to celebrate their first Thanksgiving. But they did survive and they did celebrate.

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November 1621

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labors. These four, in one day, killed as much fowl as, with a little help besides, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our 54 arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others.

-- Excerpt from William Bradford’s Journal

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Years later, even as Abraham Lincoln and the United States faced an existential crisis, he took time to give thanks.

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Washington DC, October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

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From the entire Compass Points team: Happy Thanksgiving!