This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a time to offer thanks and celebrate the harvest. Other nations have Thanksgiving holidays and many religions have holidays where practitioners praise God for the bounty of the harvest. Yet, this harvest did not come without effort. It involved tilling the land and planting the seed. During the growth, farmers had to remove weeds and pests and treat plant disease. Even the act of harvesting proved no small chore, as moving grain, root vegetables, squashes, fruits and nuts from the fields to silos, barns and cellars required work from both man and beast. In most cases, there was no harvest without many months of effort and the blessing of rain, sunshine and proper temperatures.
In our lives, we should recognize other areas where we experience the fruition of efforts, and give thanks to God for enabling our success. This "harvest" may be the completion of studies, the end of a successful athletics season, reaching a milestone in Scouting, achieving a goal at work, raising a child to adulthood, etc. We have much in our life to be thankful for; it came with faith, hard work, persistence and the right environment. Let us take this time to reflect and recognize God's grace, giving thanks for our many blessings.
A Scout is Reverent.