Thanksgiving brings many reasons to be thankful

It’s over. Halloween has come and gone. All the ghosts, goblins, zombies, witches and super-heroes are back snug in their dens and trunks for another year.

The election is over too. Maybe no more political calls for at least another month. The stores are jammed full of as much as they can get on their shelves for Christmas. Thanksgiving Day is coming Thursday.

As I sit here in my home office, writing this article for the Faith page of our local newspaper, I cant help but wonder about how quickly this year has seemed to have passed. I also have to take a minute to to review it. Several dear friends have fallen asleep in the Lord, several with great suffering and pain, others in peace and calmness in the company of their friends and relatives. But looking back, I can still see why we have a great many reasons to be thankful.

We live in the greatest country in the world. We have just had an election of people to represent us in governor’s mansions and in our national congress and our state legislatures. We got to vote for the people we believed in. We were not told whom to vote for and in most cases we had a choice. No one forced us to vote for a slate of candidates presented by others already in power. No one forced us to vote by coming to our homes and leading us to the polls at gunpoint. We even had the ability to refuse to vote if we so chose. But I truly hope that no one reading this was that foolish. We all like to gripe about the people in the office but if you didn’t vote to put them there or vote to keep them out, you cant even about what they are doing.

I hope and pray that the election outcome was the way you wanted. If you did vote, I thank you for exercising what is not only your right but your duty. Our country and our local governments are facing several great challenges. We need to pray for those we have elected to office that they may remember their oath of office and they may fulfill their duties, with the welfare of all of our citizens in mind so that they may all treated with justice and compassion.

Let us pray for all those who govern us in whatever level of government they are serving. Let us also pray for all those who are serving in our armed forces that God will guard and guide them in whatever they have to do. Let us join in prayer that God will continue to bless us and help us to appreciate His many gifts in our lives. Amen

Metropolitan Kyril McGowan,

Holy American Orthodox Church