This Thanksgiving, as we celebrate the Lord’s many blessings, our hearts are especially overwhelmed by the miraculous providence and sense of divine purpose that the Lord demonstrates in His dealings with us, both as a nation and as individuals. The true story of Thanksgiving (read here) is an amazing testimony of a small group of faith-filled Christ followers who resolved to obey God “whatsoever it should cost” and solemnly covenanted to live their lives “for the glorie of God, and the advancement of the Christian faith.”
One such courageous soul was a man named John Howland, one of the 41 “true pilgrim” men who signed the Mayflower Compact. In the world’s eyes then, Howland was no one special. Though he was an ardent Separatist, he could not afford passage on the Mayflower, so he indentured himself to Governor John Carver as the leader’s executive assistant and personal secretary (agreeing to work for several years in exchange for the price of passage).
Out in the Atlantic aboard the tiny Mayflower, a great storm came up and John fell overboard. Great waves crashed above him as the boundless deep threatened to pull him down to certain death, but a trailing rope from the boat miraculously appeared, and John grabbed hold. Slowly he pulled himself closer and closer to the ship. Eventually, the crew rescued him with a boat hook, pulling him to safety.
William Bradford recorded a first-hand account of this story in his chronicles of the Pilgrims and Plymouth Plantation:
“…In a mighty storm, a lusty young man called John Howland… [was] thrown into sea; but it pleased God that he caught hold of the topsail halyards which hung overboard…till he was hauled up…and then with a boat hook…his life saved. And though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years after and became a profitable member both in church and commonwealth.”
Howland and the other pilgrims survived the rest of the voyage, but nearly half perished (including Governor John Carver) during that first harsh winter known as the Starving Time.
Three years later (in 1624) John Howland was a free man with a 4 acre farm, and he married another Mayflower passenger, Elizabeth Tilley. together, they went on to raise 10 children. The Howlands worked hard, and along with 5 other men, helped buy out the original joint-stock funders of the Mayflower and pay of the debt of the Pilgrims decades ahead of time. In addition to farming his own land, Howland served in civil government as Assistant to the Governor, deputy, surveyor of highways and land, grand juror, and selectman. However, the most lasting work of John and Elizabeth was discipling their 10 children, 88 grand-children, and countless great grand-children in the faith. The Lord blessed the happy couple with long lives, both living well into their eighties (which was very uncommon then).
Today, more than 2 million Americans can trace their lineage back to John Howland, whose life God miraculously spared. The godly heritage instilled in this family has survived generations, with many of Howland’s descendants going on to do extraordinary things, including:
· Nathaniel Gorham, who served as President of the Continental Congress
· Ralph Waldo Emerson, Unitarian Minister & acclaimed Poet
· Eliza Woolsey Howland, renowned author, abolitionist leader, and Christian philanthropist
· Dr. John Howard, Chief of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins and a pioneer in reducing childhood mortality
· Justice Robert Jackson, who presided over the Nuremberg Trials and served on the U.S. Supreme Court
· Governor Sarah Palin
· 3 US Presidents (Franklin Roosevelt, George Bush, and George H.W. Bush)
Can you imagine the hundreds of millions of lives impacted by the descendants of John Howland? There is no doubt that the Lord had a plan for his life and saved him for a purpose, far bigger than what John himself could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20). If Howland had perished at sea, who would have fought to end slavery, brokered peace at the end of WWII, cured childhood diseases, or advocated for justice over vengeance? And this is only a snapshot of the legacy of just one of the 50 surviving Pilgrims, who dedicated their life to the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith! The legacy of sharing Gospel faith through generations is astonishing!
Can you imagine what our unfailing Lord, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), could do through our generation if each of us made such a similar resolution, to dedicate every moment of our life to His good purpose? There is no doubt that God still has a good plan for the American Church and for faith-filled believers like you and me. This Thanksgiving, as we celebrate the abundant blessings and faithfulness of our good God, let us, with renewed devotion, surrender ourselves fully to Him and His service.
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