"The True Miracle of Thanksgiving"

"The True Miracle of Thanksgiving"             

Do you know about Squanto, a Patuxet brave? Are you aware of the calamity and victory he experienced leading up to the first Thanksgiving?

As we in the United States prepare for Thanksgiving this week I’m reminded of the true story of Squanto along with Proverbs 16:9, which says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” This passage can certainly be applied to young Squanto.

I want to share some of Squanto’s experience with the help of a book and a few of its wonderful illustrations by Shannon Stirnweis. The book is, The True Miracle of Thanksgiving, by Eric Mataxas. 

This book is categorized for children but the story is so good and the art so excellent I want you to have a chance to see. I recently read it to a small group of adults and they loved it.

Book Description: Every once in a great while, the hand of God is easy to see, and so it was with a lonely Patuxet brave and a struggling band of Pilgrims.

In 1608, a 12-year-old boy named Squanto was captured in America and taken to Spain as a slave. With the help of Spanish monks who taught him about God, Squanto make his way to England and finally back to his homeland.

Squanto arrived to find an empty village—a deadly virus had wiped out his entire tribe. In their place, a small group of struggling Pilgrims settled and called their new community Plymouth.

Because of his time with the monks and in England, Squanto could communicate with the Pilgrims and knew about God. Soon he became their valuable guide and true friend. 

 

"Hallelujah! Who but the glorious God of heaven could so miraculously weave together the wondering lives of a lonely Patuxet brave and a struggling band of English Pilgrims in such a way that would bless the whole world for centuries to come?"

Chuck Colson, about this book: “The only thing more amazing than this true story from American history is the fact that so few people have ever heard it. I’m glad to know that my colleague, Eric Metaxas, has written this wonderful book.”

This post shows just a few of the pages from Mataxas' book. Hopefully you get the gist of the story.

Happy Thanksgiving!

©Copyright 2017 Connie Wohlford