By Wendy Powers
Here we are again in the month of Thanksgiving, not only in the sense of the huge family dinner but in the true spirit of what this day and month represents to all who celebrate.
The first Thanksgiving, as we all know, was due to a bountiful harvest of green corn, which was the first successful harvest for the pilgrims since arriving from England to the New World. The first Thanksgiving Day can be traced back to 1621. That year, the Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag Indians to a harvest feast after their first successful growing season. Prior harvests had not been successful, but the Wampanoag tribe reached out to the Pilgrims, teaching them how to grow corn, beans, and squash and catch fish.
The joy that all must have felt with this abundantly successful harvest, sitting down to this great feast with the Wampanoag Indians, who, through their kind help, assured survival in their new world. Thus, Thanksgiving was born through the Indians giving knowledge, which resulted in the Pilgrims receiving an abundant harvest!
I love Thanksgiving; it is my third favorite holiday, preceded by Christmas and then Easter. All of these holidays have in common gratefulness and the chance to help others in the joy of giving and receiving.
In this month of Thanksgiving, let go of fear and disappointment. Clear your mind of those things that may distress you and place instead into your consciousness hope, love, and wisdom.
If you are having a hard time looking at positive things that you are grateful for this year, why don’t you start by writing down all of the big things first and continue listing right down to the smallest? One of the things I was most grateful for was helping others in need when they were going through great tragedy. God put me in Las Vegas during the horrible shootings. I was there for a conference and happened to fly in Sunday morning. I thought about going down to the concert that night. However, my intuition screamed out to me not to go. I was not sure why, but I have learned to listen to my little voice.
So I stayed in that night and decided to go to sleep early so that I could be bright and energized for the start of my conference. As I was sharing a room with another girl who was attending the conference, we decided to turn off the TV early so as not to disturb our sleep. My sleep was anything but restful. I found myself waking and feeling anxious and distressed throughout the night, but I did not want to turn on the TV or use my phone so as not to disturb my roommate. Finally, at 6:00 a.m., I felt I could open the curtains and turn on my phone and TV; that’s when I learned of the horrible events. I was in Las Vegas for several days, and on Tuesday, the strip was mostly reopened.
On Monday evening, as I fell asleep saying my prayers for all the souls touched by this event, I had several spirits come to me confused and did not understand what had happened. Tuesday morning, I gathered up a few of my fellow spiritual friends, and we went to the closest place near the site as we were allowed. We meditated in prayer for peace and to assist spirits to the light.
On Thanksgiving, part of my Giving of Thanks will be to give thanks so that I can be there to help in the ascension of those lost souls.
While you are mulling over your Giving of Thanks list, think of what you have done to help others. If you can’t think of anything, make a list. Start with anyone you gave a helping hand or reached out to or someone who needed a hug. Did you smile at someone who needed to find joy or bring laughter to someone who has lost the desire to laugh? Be part of the giving, plant seeds for a future harvest; for all you give, you receive tenfold.
Give thanks for all of your abundance and opportunities to give. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.