Thanksgiving

The words are taken from a poem by Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer, an African American woman who was born immediately after the Civil War and died in 1936 at the age of 68 years old. She lived through some tumultuous times and her poetry often refelcted that. This poem is one of Thanksgiving. I contemplated picking and choosing verses to include in my hymn, but never felt it was right to censure verses, so I include all 6 verses here.


Let us give thanks to God above,
Thanks for expressions of His love,
Seen in the book of nature, grand
Taught by His love on every hand.

Let us be thankful in our hearts,
Thankful for all the truth imparts,
For the religion of our Lord,
All that is taught us in His word.

Let us be thankful for a land,
That will for such religion stand;
One that protects it by the law,
One that before it stands in awe.

Thankful for all things let us be,
Though there be woes and misery;
Lessons they bring us for our good-
Later 'twill all be understood.

Thankful for peace o'er land and sea,
Thankful for signs of liberty,
Thankful for homes, for life and health,
Pleasure and plenty, fame and wealth.

Thankful for friends and loved ones, too,
Thankful for all things, good and true,
Thankful for harvest in the fall,
Thankful to Him who gave it all.

MP3: Thanksgiving
PDF: Thanksgiving