In 1827, Sarah Josepha Hale, author of the nursery rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb, began a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For thirty-six years, Sarah lobbied senators, governors, and presidents to declare Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
She believed that a national holiday of thankfulness could bring healing to a divided nation. Sarah’s persistence finally paid off, during the height of the Civil War.
In 1863, President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Romans 2:6 says, “God will repay each person according to what they have done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”
When God puts something important on your heart, you may need to persevere for years. But God will repay your efforts.
