The Providence of God was so obvious in the life of Joseph who was sold into Egyptian slavery, betrayed by Potiphar’s wife, and imprisoned for 13 years, yet, God raised him from prison to second in command behind Pharoah. So too, that same Providence is glaringly apparent in the story of the Pilgrims, Samoset, Squanto, and Thanksgiving. To help illustrate God’s Providence in this Great holiday celebration, I will place the letters GP beside every place I believe it appears.
  In 1605*, the English pondered colonizing the new world(GP). They decided to capture several Indians (GP) during a fishing exhibition, bring them back to England, and teach them the English language (GP) to obtain the necessary information on the locations of both violent and friendly Indian tribes, to plant their colonies successfully.
  Initially, the fishing exhibition sailed from England under the command of John Smith, who survived the Jamestown(GP), Virginia colony debacle. After a successful fishing endeavor, Smith ordered one of his commanders Thomas Hunt, to remain behind and trade their fish for Indian beaver pelts, which would garner more money upon their return to England. Instead, Hunt tricked 20 Indians into coming on board his fishing boats-one of which was…Squanto(GP). Hunt then set sail for the notorious slave trading post in Spain called Malaga(GP). Along the route, Hunt stopped in Cape Cod and added 7 more Indians for a total of 27.
  As the 27 Indians began to be auctioned off (GP) in Malaga, several Catholic friars heard of their plight and proceeded to purchase several of the slaves including Squanto (GP). The friars led Squanto to Christ and eventually released him(GP). He later made his way to England where he spent several years learning the English language and their customs (GP). In 1619, he returned to America with Captain Thomas Dermer. When he returned and began to search for his tribe, he encountered the shock of his life finding that his entire Petauxet tribe had been wiped out by a plague(GP). Squanto was now the only Petuaxet Indian left on earth(GP)!
  Squanto decided his only option for survival was to walk 50 miles to join the Wampanoag tribe(GP), where Massasoit was Chief. Indian tribes were not usually friendly with each other and were therefore very hesitant to accept other tribesmen. In God’s providence, Squanto was accepted(GP)!
  On the other side of the earth(GP), in 1620, the Mayflower and Speedwell departed from Holland(GP), made a stop in England, and then headed toward Virginia(GP)--not Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts(GP)!!!! Along the way, they were forced to abandon the Speedwell due to leaks which delayed their progress, until they were caught in terrible Atlantic storms(GP). Due to the inclement weather (GP), 102 men, women, and children were forced into the cargo space of the Mayflower; a ship that was only 25 feet wide, and 90 feet long, with only 5’6 inches of head space—for 44 days and nights—eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, and more than likely enduring sea sickness—which in more crude language—means they were vomiting!
  The waves from the storm rocked the ship, forcing the crew to tie themselves to the mast to remain on board. The Pilgrims staved off their fears by singing songs of worship! Incredibly, when the average loss of life crossing the Atlantic was 50%, only 2 people perished—neither of which were Pilgrims(GP)!
  As the Mayflower approached the eastern shore of America, the storms blew them off course pushing them to the north(GP). Having no clue where to land, or whether the Indians were friendly---they stopped and began to pray(GP)! They eventually landed on Cape Cod(GP) and ultimately found Plymouth Rock(GP), the former location of the violent Petauxet Indian tribe (GP) that had previously all perished by plague(GP). However, not only was the Petauxet tribe absent but no other Indian tribes(GP) would chance living there for fear of enduring that same fate(GP); even though the spot had fresh water making it perfectly suited to human existence.
  Over that winter, they lived off the ship’s reserves(GP), and still, 50% of the Pilgrims died. Yet, when the Mayflower returned to England, not one of the surviving Pilgrims chose to return(GP)! Why? They were missionaries called by God to take the gospel to the Indians.
  First, before the Pilgrims stepped off the ship, after prayer and thanksgiving, they covenanted together and created the Mayflower Compact. In short, it declared: “In, the Name of God, Amen…” “Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith,” “In the northern parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly And mutually in the Presence of God and one another, covenant, And combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick,”(GP)
  Ten years later, William Bradford further elucidated their original motivation: “A great hope and inward zeal they had for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world; yea, though they should be but even as stepping-stones unto others for the performing of so great a work.” (GP)
  This quote reveals not only the call of God upon the Pilgrims, and by default America, but the “stepping-stones” remark reveals they understood they needed to stand fast on their calling because they were to be facilitators for those who would come behind them!!
 
This is America’s vision!!! (GP) This is America’s Thanksgiving!

 Stay-tuned for part 2!!!!


Quotebit
 “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”                          -Albert Einstein
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28.And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
                                                                       -Gen1:28
 
 5.I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6.If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather  them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7.If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it  shall be done unto you.
8.Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
                                               -Jn15:5-8
 
Definition Of Productivity:
To either create or work* towards the manifestation of and/or use of a product or service that self and others value.
 
  To begin, I need to explain the first five words of my definition: “To either create or work…”. By “create”, I mean the action of creating or inventing something. On the other hand, by “work” I mean the action of ‘doing something’ that is not creating something, which is more often than not an action of repetition to achieve a product or service that has already been created.
  Second, allow me to expound on the latter part of the sentence: “use of a product or service that self and others value.” Because productivity involves both creative work and repetitive work, both types of work impact self and others. In other words, the following order exists for both types of work: 1.self, 2.others.
   Without work benefiting ‘self’ ‘FIRST’---that work can quickly descend into slavery, which hinders and then destroys both the motivation and the excellence of work…tragically rebounding in a consequence that short-circuits productivity. In other words, slavery can produce, but it can ‘NEVER’ produce like ‘purposed’ work---a work which requires value to both self and others!!! On the other hand, while it is possible for work to only benefit self, or have value only to self, as long as that self remains a first step---it is not designed to end there. In other words, while work is designed to begin with benefiting self, its highest end will benefit others, i.e.to serve others. Therefore, because productivity requires work, and because work’s highest objective (not the only objective) is to benefit others, productivity possesses inherent selflessness as one of its greatest ends.
  Because of the selflessness inherent to the nature of productivity, as productivity proceeds--even the productivity of natural things (possessions) is designed to cause maturity (growth): both spiritually and mentally, in humans who produce!! For emphasis, allow me to repeat myself, the more an individual personally produces a product or service ‘valued by others’ matures the spirit and soul of the worker…and can even positively impact one’s physical growth!!  This incredible effect of productivity on an individual is not hyperbole and is the reason God made productivity His first commandment to mankind.
  Moving forward. Moreover, the dynamic of personal productivity gives birth to corporate or business productivity. If one first learns productivity at home ---especially without compensation—as one leaves home and begins producing, he will learn faster and produce more efficiently---especially when it comes to his God-given unique calling! Therefore, not only is individual productivity essential to personal maturity, both:
i.the selflessness of personal productivity,
ii.the consequences of personal productivity, i.e.products and services created, etc.
…inspire productivity in others, and so on…forever!!! Why? Because humans are interdependent! Therefore, each time any individual produces, it erects and establishes a foundation upon which those around them, as well as those in later generations, can also build on…forever!! Once again, why? Not because of selfishness or envy, but because of the God-given ‘desire for more’ innate to…the image and likeness of God! This God-given gift manifests in humans three ways:
            1.more (in number)
            2.better (more effective)
            3.service
 
  These 3 desires…continually work in every normal, healthy human motivating him/her to “take dominion” over the earth** (Gen1:28). In other words, as these three desires develop, one is encouraged to inquire or act on how a particular product or service can be more or better…with the assumed intent to serve humanity!
 
Therefore, the first principles of productivity are:
           1.creativity
           2.work or work ethic
           3.personal growth
           4.serving the creation
           5.corporate (business) growth
           6.human multiplication
           7.unity or human oneness***
 
  These seven principles are among those that inspired God’s first commandment to man: to be fruitful! However, what is too often neglected is God’s second command—"to multiply”, was not only designed to facilitate more humans on earth, but innately multiplies productivity---because of God’s first commandment “to be fruitful”; i.e.to produce!
  Incredibly, the more humans who produce, exponentially multiplies (not adds) human creativity; which exponentially multiplies the amount of human work and the work ethic; which exponentially multiplies the need for more products and services; which exponentially multiplies human growth; which exponentially multiplies human service; ultimately climaxing in human unity!
  Incredibly, as productivity progresses, it both creates and establishes an atmosphere of human peace, which innately facilitates human creativity; which comes full circle back to human productivity!  
  Remember, peace**** is the one atmosphere allowing for God’s gift of the ‘desire for more’ to thrive!
   
 
*Before the fall, work was originally defined as ‘wisdom applied to action’; or ‘wisdom applied to the energy of action’. However, after sin entered the world, work is now defined as any action: doing something or doing nothing. In other words, after the fall, work is now defined as any behavior or action(s).
**possessions, or that which comes from the earth!!
***As humans obey the first commandment to produce, their productivity possesses the inherent potential to facilitate oneness, i.e.a unity among humans.
****both inner and outer peace