My First Thanksgiving Day
Do you remember your first Thanksgiving Day? I think that you may not have any memory about that day, because you were just a baby on your first Thanksgiving Day. However, I definitely remember what happened and how I spent that day in the US. I remember it because I came to this country to study when I was 28 years old, not a baby. It was 2007. I became aware of how great the Thanksgiving holiday is because there was no class from Tuesday on during Thanksgiving week at my school. Anyway, my wife and I almost spent my first Thanksgiving holiday at my dorm, alone and bored. But one Korean American pastor who served at a United Methodist Church in White Plains,
NY invited international students like me to Thanksgiving dinner. At their table, I experienced my first roasted turkey and other traditional Thanksgiving side dishes. It was a really thankful day with good people and good food.
At that time, I didn’t notice, but now I realize that I experienced the real meaning of Thanksgiving at the table. On Thanksgiving Day, we have a grateful heart to God for what God did for us. Despite any difficulties and hard times in our lives, God is always with us, still loving us and showering us with grace. How can we express our grateful hearts? Thanksgiving Day is a time not just to enjoy our holiday, but also to share what we have from God. It is the day we pass the love and grace which came from God for our family, friends, and our neighbors. I believe that I experienced the passing of love and grace to me from God through the pastor on my first Thanksgiving Day. Now, we are looking forward to another Thanksgiving this year. I hope we all discern God’s love and grace given to us in the past year. And furthermore, I hope we will pass them on to other people who need God’s presence in their own situations. Amen.
Pastor Jinha Choi First & Wesley UMC