Thanksgiving to God’s Will

Photo courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez

Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our brothers and sisters! November 24 marks Thanksgiving, one of America’s most anticipated and beloved holiday traditions of giving thanks for our many blessings. Since the first harvest in 1621 celebrated by settlers and native people, Thanksgiving has been an annual reminder of gratitude for everything we have.

Below is an excerpt from True Father’s speech “Thanksgiving to God’s Will,” delivered in 1979 at the Belvedere property where he urged community members to live each day selflessly with gratitude to God.

Speech excerpt:

National laws or constitutions are enacted in any good nation, basically to enhance the public way of life. The philosophy and basic nature of the law is to uphold the giving way of life and to attempt to limit those who would live only for themselves. Once you make yourself the center and try to pursue only self-centered goals, the more effort you make, the more you narrow down your life, ultimately confining yourself to darkness and despair...

Everyone has another public man inside himself who keeps insisting that living selfishly is wrong. The person who tries to ignore his conscience is only torturing himself ... The love of God will fill you according to the size of your container. When you have a greater container, more love comes. Our job here on earth is to expand the capacity of our containers... 

The American people are basically smart, so when they compare the conventional way of life and this new way of life, they will see that the new way is a greater, more valuable way. Then they will get rid of their old mode of life ... Even though you have been persecuted, you can be grateful for being born in this country because it is here that we met. 

Thank your father and mother for giving you birth at this particular time in history. Be grateful to all the teachers who instructed you, to everyone who benefited you so that you could be in this position today. Thank all things of creation which provide you with physical food. Thank the birds for singing a beautiful song of God. Thank the farmers and their fields for providing for you. Declare to all creation that you have become the princes and princesses of true love and love them as a representative of God. Love the grass and the trees. 

The entire earth is like a glacier, so now you must bring the warmth of the love of God and enable the earth to truly feel the cosmic spring. Do you feel the joy of being the harbinger of the cosmic spring? Feel the warmth in your heart, that satisfaction and purpose of life. Look at the world and all things of creation with that frame of mind. We have discovered God's Will and dispensation and will live on earth in eternal faith and gratitude.

Even though your heart is willing to give thanksgiving to God, sometimes your body lets you down. Always repent that your body can't keep up with your will. That way God will be very sympathetic with you ... Even though you go through the valley of the shadow of death, fear no evil but be grateful instead. We have so much to be grateful for. We should begin our life in gratitude and end our life in gratitude. With this heart you can desire to bear a greater burden and be grateful for it...

The road of dispensation is our way of life and the way we can restore the individual, family, tribe, nation, and world. Our way of life is the way of restoration. Every feeling and sensation in your body should be an expression of gratitude ... God has a reason for everything so you should be grateful for whatever you have.

You can learn more about the American history of Thanksgiving here.