As we gather with family and friends on November 22, we have much to be thankful for, not the least of which is the blessing of everyday life in America.
 In the midst of Thanksgiving, however, we may sense that we are living in a time of decisive moments. We could include a prayer for guidance in choosing a new president.
 Celebrating Thanksgiving in both decisive times and quiet times is an American tradition. General George Washington and his soldiers observed a Thanksgiving Day during the difficult days of the Revolutionary War. It was a decisive time.
 Washington”s first proclamation after becoming president named November 26, 1789 to be a national day of thanksgiving, a quiet time.
 In 1863, with the Civil War in progress, President Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation included this touching statement: “We commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable strife in which we are unavoidably engaged.”
 In 2005, President George W. Bush’s proclamation said, in part, “We give thanks to live in a country where freedom reigns, justice prevails, and hope prospers. We recognize that America is a better place when we answer the universal call to love a neighbor and help those in need.”
