How many times have you sung the nursery rhyme, “Mary Had A Little Lamb,”  (which appeared in Juvenile Miscellany magazine for children in 1836),  without knowing who wrote it? To Sarah Buell, the author of that poem, goes most of the credit for our  present-day observance of “Thanksgiving.” She knew that our first two presidents, Washington and Adams, issued proclamations for a National Day of  Thanksgiving, but soon after the election of Jefferson in 1801, the practice  was abandoned. This greatly disturbed the then 13 year old Sarah Buell and  the seed was sown in her young heart: Someday she would see a day of Thanksgiving returned to our nation’s calendar.
Buell was born in Newport, NH, in 1788. She married David Hale, a lawyer, who  left her a penniless widow at age 34. Needing to support their 5 children,  she used her writing skills to launch the American Ladies Magazine in 1828.  As the first woman editor in the US, she wrote most of the novels, poems, and  essays in each issue. Due to the popularity of her Christian values,  circulation reached 150,000 by 1860. Her influence both in this country and  abroad was enormous for a woman of her time.
Sarah was not interested in the political arena. Instead she concentrated on  the education of young women. During her 91 years of life, she was the first  to encourage women to become missionaries worldwide; she helped establish  Vassar College, and it was mainly due to her support that Elizabeth Blackwell  became the first woman medical doctor in our country.  She did not forget her resolve to restore a day of thanksgiving to our land.  Through her magazine articles, and with letters written by her own hand, she  bombarded national and state leaders with requests for a Thanksgiving  holiday. “There is a deep moral influence in seasons of rejoicing in which  whole communities participate. They bring out the best sympathies in our  natures,” she wrote. Finally, Sarah Hale got the attention of President Lincoln with this appeal: “Thanksgiving, like the Fourth of July, should be considered a national  festival and observed by all our people. If every state would join in Union,  observing Thanksgiving, would it not be a renewed pledge of love and loyalty  to the Constitution of the United States?” After 40 years of writing  thousands of letters, Sarah Hale saw her dream was realized. In the midst of the Civil War, President Lincoln issued this proclamation:  “No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these  things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing  with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered us in mercy.” On  November 24th, 1863, Sarah and the rest of the Union worshipped with  thanksgiving once again. Each succeeding president made similar proclamations honoring the Plymouth  colony which began the tradition in December 1621. The native fruits,  vegetables, wild game, and pumpkin pies enjoyed by the Pilgrims and their  Indian neighbors, became the traditional food for the day. When we sit down at our food laden tables this year, we should remember this  spunky, determined, and fearless woman, Sarah Buell Hale; who with great  perseverance inspired a president to make this special day possible. Let’s  forget our problems, fears and complaining, and lift our eyes off ourselves  and onto Him A challenge from Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, says it well: “Thanksgiving is the mark of a Christian, because thanksgiving points out and  up while my complaining points only back at me and feeds my pride and  dissatisfaction. Thanksgiving towards God and man fits the Great Command-ment  like a glove; to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself." What better vehicle than thankfulness to express love? When someone pokes me I want my first instinct to be thankfulness rather than  anger. I want people to find thankfulness oozing out of me. I want  thanksgiving to mark my conversation and manner. I want to abound with it, be full of it. I want to overflow with thankfulness. How about you?” Psalm 95:2, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout  joyfully to Him with psalms.” Stop and THANK! Evelyn R. Smith ©2001 Bible Center Church Back To Main Page / Archive of Previous Articles