By Curt Williams, Founder & Executive Director
Shortly after the Union Army’s victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise.” This was codified as a national annual holiday by Congress in 1941, marking the beginning of what we today recognize as Thanksgiving Day. It was originally intended by Lincoln as a day of repentance, gratitude and prayer for war orphans and widows, along with prayer for the Lord to restore national peace and unity.
Today, it is more about the turkey, the stuffing and football. Yet here at Youth-Reach, we want to return to the strong sentiment of President Lincoln and come to you with our thanksgiving and praise for the provision of our God.
We are grateful to God that He has raised up workers and supporters so that we have been in 24-hour-a-day, uninterrupted operation since November 1984. That’s every Friday night, Monday morning, Christmas Day, Sunday afternoon and Easter. There has not been one day in almost 42 years that we have not had boys in beds, food in the pantry and the miraculous provision of the Father. Yes, that is miraculous.
We are grateful to God for His protection. In over four decades of working with some very challenging boys in a residential environment, we have never been accused of an indiscretion involving a resident. That is, no accusations of abuse or neglect in any way. That, my friends, is the power of the presence of the Lord in our homes, and we give Him honor for His covering.
We are grateful for the many adult men who are contributing to our society. They are faithful husbands, present fathers, businessmen, servicemen, pastors and leaders who once slept in the beds of Youth-Reach. Every day, we hear from several of them. They call for advice, counsel or just out of a deep sense of friendship and gratitude. We thank God for our adopted sons.
And we are deeply grateful for you, the men and women who pray and give so this ongoing miracle can continue. We are thankful that you equip us so we can be available for the next kid who needs us and for the next single mom who is desperate for a resource for her son. Thank you.
As we walk through a season of Thanksgiving, we never want to lose sight of those who stand with us and the powerful God who assures our provision. We hope you and yours step deeper into gratitude this season and experience the joy and peace that come with recognizing and praising our wonderful Father.
