“These are the times that try men’s souls.” Thomas Paine wrote this on December 23, 1776, as the Revolutionary War was wearing down the colonists.
In August, General George Washington’s troops suffered humiliating defeats and lost New York City to British troops. Between September and December, 11,000 American volunteers gave up the fight and returned to their families. It was a dark time. Paine, though, added, “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” Those were dark, trying times.
I find it interesting that the first national Thanksgiving Day proclamation was made by President Lincoln in 1863. The Civil War was raging. The Army of the Potomac had stopped Lee’s troops at Gettysburg. Grant had successfully laid siege to Vicksburg. In the middle of the ugliest war in our nation’s history, the first national proclamation of Thanksgiving was made.
The dark and trying times have, as I see it, returned to America in 2020. The nation seems as divided as it was in 1863. Controversy surrounds the 2020 election. I’m not sure it can be proved in a courtroom, but it appears to me that the Democrats and the media conspired to rig the election against President Trump and those who voted for him.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to run rampant through our country. The number of cases seems to be rising. There’s talk of schools, the ones that had opened, going back to online instruction.
Thanksgiving in 2020 is different, too. Many people are not meeting with family and friends for celebrations. The Center for Disease Control and some states are encouraging people not to meet together for the holiday.
Against this dark backdrop, is there anything for which we can be thankful? The answer, I think, is a resounding yes.
In the political realm, we had four years of President Donald Trump and his capable administration. During this time, we saw economic growth and the expansion of job opportunities. During the Trump presidency, the Middle East experienced more peace than it had in a long time. During the Trump four years, we brought troops home from unwinnable wars and took huge steps to thwart and sometimes kill those who terrorize and attack us. Though the left and the media lied about it constantly throughout the campaign season, thanks to the Trump administration, it seems that vaccines for COVID-19 are on the way by the end of the year.
Like nearly everyone who reads Clash Daily, I pray for a miracle and that the results of the fraudulent election will be reversed. I am hopeful. At this Thanksgiving, though, I will be thankful that God allowed us four years of this administration.
Culturally speaking, I think we have much for which to be grateful. Thanks to brilliant Supreme Court justice nominees and solid judicial appointments, the awful Roe v. Wade decision could be overturned in the near future. We might be inching closer to a culture of life in this country. I am also thankful for the huge diversity that now appears in the Republican party. Historic numbers of African Americans and Hispanics voted GOP in 2020. The GOP added 23 women members to the 2020 House. These are signs that the conservative, populist, anti-elitist message is taking root. I, like many of you, am angry at what appears to be a stolen election. I am, though, encouraged. The Democrats might be winning the cemetery constituency, but we are winning the hearts and souls of the living. For that, I am thankful.
I would be remiss if I didn’t add a spiritual component. I know that not everyone who reads Clash Daily is a Christian. Many are, though, and I am, too. In these trying times, I believe we have to remember that God is still God. He is on the throne. David reminds us in Psalms 136:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”
No matter what happens or how dark our circumstances might be, remember, God is with us. Jesus loves us and we are more than conquerors through Him.
Though this is a different Thanksgiving, I hope you’ll join me in thanking God for the blessings he’s given us, even in this challenging year 2020.
