To the editor:

In a recent Independent column, Publisher Greg Orear suggested readers should take time to celebrate Thanksgiving before delving into Christmas preparations.

Reflecting on possible reasons why Thanksgiving is somewhat overlooked as a special event, the writer noted “there is no central figure associated with Thanksgiving.”

It is strange, sad, but true that after spending over 45 minutes on the internet, I could not find the text from Governor William Bradford’s “Of Plimoth Plantation” in which he describes Squanto as “an instrument sent bye God” and thanks God for their survival and the blessing of being able to worship God in freedom.

However, Bradford’s words recording the landing of the Mayflower on Nov. 9, 1620, were available and also identify the central Figure of Thanksgiving: “Being thus arrived . . . they fell upon their knees and blessed ye God of heaven who had brought them over ye vast and furious ocean. . . What could not sustain them but ye spirite of God and his grace? May not the children of these fathers rightly say: Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wildernes; but they cried unto ye Lord, and he heard their voyce, and looked on their adversitie. . .” (original spellings)

Now it is 2018 and we are in the midst of adversities, too, And, as in the past, God still is present to sustain us every day, as the Apostle Paul writes, inspired by the Holy Spirit:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 35-39)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Trudy Madetzke

Marshall