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A Humble Heart at Thanksgiving
GRATITUDE/HUMBLENESS/THANKSGIVINGI am marked by three words this week: gratefulness, humbleness, and thanksgivingPhoto by Benigno Hoyuela on Unsplash “ A grateful heart is the beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation of the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.”- James E. Faust It is with a humble heart that I write this post today. You see, I lost my twin sister last year around Christmas time. Should I still be humble this holiday season without her? This is the first season where she is no longer here to celebrate with us. I miss her this time of year.The humble history of the first Thanksgiving Why would Thanksgiving be a time to be humble? Well, some say the Indians were humble at the first Thanksgiving. They humbled themselves to and with the Pilgrims as they broke bread together. It was an act of diplomacy for both. Eating together became a place where the two forces could strengthen ties with one another. It was a moment of peace. The feast counteracted with the violence and European colonialism that was to come in the Americas.How do Native Americans celebrate Thanksgiving? Native Americans today see Thanksgiving Day as a time for humbleness toward their culture, bountiful harvests, and the importance of family life. Thanksgiving is not a day for Native Americans in the traditional way it is for us. Native Americans don’t embrace the first 1621 Thanksgiving. The narrative story that we know as the first Thanksgiving is not relevant to their culture. The Thanksgiving story that we know leaves out all of their struggles. For example, a Native American speaker from the Wampanoag tribe who was involved in a 1970 celebration at Plymouth Rock remarked, after he was banned from speaking about the Native American realities of Thanksgiving, said, “We, the Wampanoag people, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end.” How many people today even know about the humility the indigenous people displayed in the Thanksgiving story? Not many people know the real story, or even celebrate it. What we know is what we have been taught in America about Thanksgiving, because the Pilgrims, as white settlers, are central to the story.Thanksgiving humility today What is humbleness? What is humility? Humbleness is defined as being modest, having no arrogance, and having respect for others. The biblical definition of humbleness lies the knowledge that God is the one we depend on. Humility is defined as the ability to be humble, being realistically aware of your own abilities and importance in the world. Why do people make it hard to be humble? Does it make you feel weak? On the contrary. Being self-aware and thankful for all God has given you isn’t seen as weakness. Being strong enough to know that you are not alone in life makes someone greater than they ever would be. The ability to be humble creates confidence. Confidence is one of those constants you carry like a purse, without revealing any of the contents. Don’t be humble only on Thanksgiving. It shouldn’t take a holiday to be humble. Humble people are humble all the time.Conclusion: Lead with a humble heart A humble heart will reveal itself daily. A humble heart is knowing who you are without others telling you. A humble heart observes how wonderful things are around you. The art of observation is the key that unlocks the humble heart. A humble heart can be prideful and conceited in the greatest of ways. If you’re happy with yourself and you know it, Clap your hands! A humble heart knows that loss strengths life. I know that my twin is in a better place, now free from the pain of her sickness. I am thankful and blessed to have had her in my life, and for the time she shared with me. I am grateful and thankful today for a humble heart. I thank God for giving it to me and to all the people who have been in my life and helped transform my humility from a small cocoon to a soaring monarch butterfly.Photo by Somali Pattjoshi on Unsplash And Naive Americans, with humble hearts, are forever thankful for the bounty they have, despite much suffering at the loss of their native land. Gratitude, humbleness, and Thanksgiving comes in different forms. I triumph today with a humble spirit, which is more important today than any turkey with all the trimmings. I like turkey with a little humble pie.Thank you for reading. A Humble Heart at Thanksgiving was originally published in #Grateful4 on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
