Tag: history

A Christmas of Thanksgiving

Christmas, History, Power of History, Thanksgiving

In many ways this is a Thanksgiving post, but I intentionally chose to save it for now.

I’ve been thinking about how we pause on Thanksgiving day to take note of the Pilgrims who first settled in what would become the United States of America.   We pause and consider the difficulties of their lives and their dedication to vision.  We pause to give thanks for blessings we regularly number and to acknowledge blessings which we may not recognize but enjoy daily.  We remember that daily bread is a gift, and daily breath is  complete mercy.  We pause to put simple gifts on our lists of things worth treasuring.  We pause to pray for grateful hearts.

And then we get up the next morning and it’s full speed ahead, stressing about money and things, trying to do more and be more.  All of the things that were sufficient for Thanksgiving somehow aren’t sufficient in the face of the looming Christmas holiday.

I know I’m generalizing here, but I think we all feel a little bit of these feelings.  We go from celebrating abundance to living in scarcity; if not a scarcity of resources then a scarcity of time, at least.  What was, a week ago, great wealth on so many levels becomes insufficient solely because the calendar changed.  I want to learn how to carry Thanksgiving forward and let it set the tone for our Christmas observance.

Each November I am drawn to a particular book on my shelf.  It’s William Bradford’s History of the Plymouth Settlement from 1608 to 1650.  If I don’t have time to re-read it every year, I at least skim it and read some of my favorite passages.  I am always struck by how similar their lives were to mine.   Undoubtedly technology and many other things have changed, but this history reminds me that God has set up mortality to test us in similar ways no matter what age we live in.   I recognize in Bradford’s account many of the same things we deal with today:  trying to stretch our resources to meet our needs, dealing with varying levels of commitment to principles on the part of people who belong to the same organization, frustration over money, dealing with creditors, facing personal opposition in the form of illness and loss.  They may seem old and so very different to us, but I believe we have a great deal in common.


One golden thread that weaves itself through this book is Bradford’s conviction that their settlement was preserved by God, that they were recipients of his mercies and blessings just as the children of Israel were in Old Testament times.  They believed that their experience in coming to the new world testified of God’s goodness and providence.  They further believed that the difficulties through which they passed, the times when they were stretched to their extremities and needed a miracle would only serve to make God’s handwriting more plainly visible to future generations.  Bradford wrote, “God, it seems, would have all men behold and observe such mercies and works of His providence as towards His people, that they in like cases might be encouraged to depend upon God in their trials, and also bless His name when they see His goodness towards others.

Man lives not by bread alone.

It is not by good and dainty fare, by peace and rest and heart’s ease, in enjoying the contentment and good tings of this world only, that health is preserved and life prolonged.  God in such examples would have the world see and behold that he can do it without them; and if the world will shut its eyes and take no notice of it, yet He would have his people see and consider it.”   (Of Plymouth Plantation, 320, emphasis added) I hope you’ll take the time to read that quote a few times and really digest its message.  I’ve been reading it for years and still find new meaning and motivation in it.  In fact, this year I decided that if I can memorize the page number that it’s on, I should probably just memorize the entire quote.  And so I have, and I’ve been repeating to to myself often in the past few weeks.  The words, “He can do it without them” have echoed in my mind in recent weeks.

Honestly, anyone who has the technology to read this post has likely been blessed so richly that we really know nothing of the physical suffering that Bradford and his community suffered.  I feel like I am part of a generation that hasn’t really been stretched by severe trials, wars, or widespread suffering.  That said,  I also believe that God has a way of stretching us individually until the fibers of what was previously comfortable grow thin and begin to show gaping holes.  Many of us are learning to do more with less for the first time in our lives.   But regardless of our challenges, it is true that if we have the sense to look back at history and consider the countless times when people have endured and ultimately triumphed, we find greater strength to continue our own journey.

I worry that the great stories of the past are slipping from our collective memory, leaving us bereft of their power to propel us through current trials and on to greatness.
These are the thoughts that have followed me through Thanksgiving and into the Christmas season.  I have found myself  pondering how our Christmas celebration influences our ability to recognize, as Bradford did, just how much God can accomplish without the earthly tools and lifestyles we depend so much upon.  This holiday, a celebration of the miraculous circumstances of His birth, testifies of the greatness that can come from the lowliest of beginnings.

I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions.  Without intending to, am I communicating to my children that we need “good and dainty fare, peace and rest and heart’s ease, [and enjoyment] of the contentment and good things of this world” in order to have health preserved and life prolonged?  Am I finding ways to teach them that man lives not by bread alone, and that God can fill our lives with abundance without the latest and greatest?  I’m listening closely for the answers, for small ideas that might help me tip the scale in the direction I desire.

I want our celebration of Christmas to be something that my children could re-create in their hearts even without modern possessions or conveniences.  I want them to be able to call up not things but feelings, powerful stories, testimonies, and memories of times when we warmed ourselves by the fire of God’s grace and tender mercies.   I am placing more emphasis on what we’re reading, what we’re talking about, what we’re listening to, and less emphasis on what we’re giving or receiving.

I want my children to know, absolutely know , that God can accomplish anything in our lives regardless of what we have.
I want them to be well-equipped with the ability to live a rich and happy inner life no matter what befalls them.

Today I attended the funeral for a man I know who slipped from this life on Thanksgiving Day.  I watched his wife, now a widow, and their three young children.  As we stood at the side of his casket I watched his three year old daughter run to us, squeeze through the line and stand there hanging on the side of the casket.  As she stood on tiptoe trying to peek at her daddy my heart ached for the journey this family will now walk without husband or father to guide and protect them.  I wondered, as they face this tremendous loss, what shapes and forms of abundance will enter their lives, gifts from a loving God to bless and help compensate.  I thought to myself, “I guess that God can do what he needs to do in their lives without a husband or father physically with them.”

As I said, the words “he can do it without them” have echoed in my mind for the past month.  I keep coming back to all that they imply.  I keep thinking that I’ve got to learn how to see daily life in those terms.  I’ve got to see, not the scarcities, but the opportunities to discover what God can do.   He invites us to turn away from the arm of flesh and instead lean on his ample arm because when we say that “he can do it without them” we’re really saying this:

HE CAN DO IT.
This Christmas season my heart has paused in this place, wanting to really “see what God hath done” and from that vision draw greater faith in all that He has yet to do, in all the promises that will yet be kept.  I want a Christmas of Thanksgiving.

Care to join me?

Jennifer

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Faith in Every Footstep

Power of History

July 24th is Pioneer Day in Utah, a celebration of the arrival of the Mormon pioneers in the Great Salt Lake valley.


Some of my ancestors crossed the plains, and I’ve been thinking about them this week, thinking about their journey and the highs and lows they experienced.

Take, for instance, Henry and Mary Grow, who with their three children arrived in Nauvoo Illinois on May 15, 1843, one year after being baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Henry was a builder, and built them a home.   He worked on the Nauvoo Temple until its completion.  Mary had another baby, making four children.

Henry and Mary lived in Nauvoo when the Prophet Joseph and his brother were martyred.  They experienced the bitter anti-mormon hatred that was rampant at the time.

On September 19, 1846 a mob force of over two thousand men advanced upon Nauvoo.  With 13 cannon in tow, they camped a mere 220 yards from the Grow’s home.  As Henry lay in bed that night, he heard a distinct voice say to him, “Get up and get out of here in the morning.”

The next morning Henry awoke, hitched a yoke of cattle to his wagon, put in utensils, bedding and a tent, and got his wife and four children in the wagon.  They left everything else behind.  When they had traveled only 50 yards the mob fired a twelve pound cannonball through their home.

Every time I think of this, I pause and wonder what that felt like.   Surely there was relief at having escaped without injury, concern about what would happen next, worry for the safety of their children.   It seems to me that there would also have to be a gut-wrenching sadness at watching your home be destroyed.  I have wondered many times what kind of silent thoughts and feelings filled Mary after the sound of that blast.

They carried on, eventually traveling to the Salt Lake Valley in 1851, arriving on Henry’s 34th birthday.  Mary crossed the plains while pregnant with her sixth child.   They arrived in the valley and, like everyone else, started over again.

I think of these things and marvel at all they lost, all they endured, and all they gained.  God was good to them.  They ended up with 7 children.  They built a good life for themselves in the Utah territory.  Henry became the architect of the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square.

In 1997 a hymn was written to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the pioneers in the valley.  It was titled Faith in Every Footstep.

I’ve been thinking about that phrase this week, “faith in every footstep.”   I’ve been thinking about the footsteps of Henry and Mary Grow.  Certainly it was their faith that gave them courage to leave home, to strike out on the plains for a faraway place, to rebuild.  But what does “faith in every footstep” mean?  Does it mean that  an equal, steady amount of faith was meted out for every single step?  Or were there days then the fire of vision and testimony was so great that it hardly seemed like work to walk, followed sometimes by days when dust and exhaustion obscured the vision and the footsteps were taken because well, what else was there to do?  If some days were full of energy, were there others that were hard?  Did they ever need to remind themselves why they were doing it?

My life has days of vision and purpose, and days where the dust of everyday life obscures my sight.  Some days are filled with faith while others seem full of short-sighted mistakes and self doubt.   Sometimes I plod on, not because I have a good perspective or much hope, but because I don’t know what else to do.  When the dust settles, I can see clearly to fix what needs fixing and correct my course.  My footsteps are stronger and on the next windy day I’m able to walk a little farther into the dust before it gets to me.

If I could ask Mary one thing today, I would ask her to describe for me the ups and downs of her footsteps and the faith that fueled them.  If there were days that were hard, I do know this:  that the sum of  all her days, of all her  footsteps was sufficient.   Five generations later, I sit at the end of a difficult day and find strength in her faith.  Five generations later, her faith inspires my footsteps.

And so, if yesterday’s faith was insufficient, today’s can be greater.  And I can pray and have faith that the sum of my footsteps will somehow be enough to complete my journey and inspire the footsteps  of  another generation.

I do  not want to let her down.

Jennifer

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4th of July Trivia Answers (and winners)

4th of July

Thanks to those who participated in my little online trivia quiz!  I hope it was a good experience to test your memory and stretch your knowledge a little bit.


Without further ado, here are the answers to the 2010 quiz.

1.  What happened on July 4, 1776?
Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence.

2.  When did the Revolutionary War begin?  When did it end?
The war began on April 19, 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.  The fighting effectively ended in October 1781 with the defeat of the British but peace was finally secured with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

3.  Name the author of the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson 4.  Recite the preamble to the Constitution.
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

5.  Name 5 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
see the entire list here 6.  In what year was the Constitution written?
1787 7.  The U.S. Constitution is organized into how many articles?
7 8.  What series of articles were written and published to convince the American people to support ratification of the Constitution?
The Federalist Papers 9.  How many of these articles were written?
85 10.  Name the three authors of the articles.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay 11.  Who wrote the fewest?  How many did he write?
John Jay, who wrote 5.

12.  Who said the following:
“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the Republican form of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, and finally staked on the experiment intrusted [sic] to the American people.”
George Washington, First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789 13.  What form of government do we have?
At the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government had been wrought.  He answered, “…a Republic, if you can keep it.”
It is unfortunate that we are being taught in our country that our form of government is a democracy.  If we believe this, there is much we will not understand about the Constitution.  The Founding Fathers had grave concerns about democratic forms of government.  To understand some of the dangers they sought to avoid by creating a republic instead of a democracy, I highly recommend reading the Federalist #10, by James Madison.

14.  Name the battle which turned the tide of the war on Christmas Day, 1776.
The Battle of Trenton 15.  At the Battle of Monmouth, what woman’s heroic efforts carried the day for the American army?
Mary Ludwig Hays, who became known as Molly Pitcher.  Following the battle, George Washington personally awarded her the rank of Sargent in the American army.

16.  Name the man responsible for hauling cannon from Ft. Ticonderoga to Boston for General Washington?
Henry Knox 17.  Who wrote the following:
“These are the times in which a genius would wish to live.  It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed.  The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.   Great necessities call out great virtues.  When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.”
Abigail Adams, in a letter to her son John Quincy Adams.  I might add that this quote seems as relevant to our world today as it was 234 years ago.

18.  Name the man who led his men in executing critical amphibious operations for the Army during 1776 (and throughout the war).
The man I was referring to is Major General John Glover , whose regiment of Marblehead Mariners were responsible for the evacuation of the Army from Long Island in August 1776 and who also ferried the army across the icy Delaware River for the attack on Trenton.  I will, however, also accept Samuel Nicholas as correct.

The first comment to reply with correct answers to all 18 questions was Kristen.  Congratulations!  I was also very impressed that Emily’s 9 year old daughter contributed to their answers and posted the first response to the quiz.  I’ll be sending a flag holder to both of you!  Way to go, and thanks so much for playing along!  We’ll have another one next year.

Hopeful Homemaker

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