One hundred eighty-five years ago, a young Abraham Lincoln spoke to the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois . In his address , the future president gave an assessment of the condition of the country at that point. He spoke about how the country might accomplish “the perpetuation of our political institutions,” especially the Constitution.

That address might not seem an obvious one for Thanksgiving Day, yet it fits well for this year’s celebration.

First, Lincoln expressed thanks for goods we often take for granted. He opened the speech by counting the country’s immense blessings. He declared that we “find ourselves in the peaceful possession, of the fairest portion of the earth, as regards extent of territory, fertility of soil, and salubrity of climate.” Beyond this peace and conditions for material plenty, Lincoln said our government was one “conducing more essentially to the ends of civil and religious liberty, than any of which the history of former times tells us.”

Today, we still can celebrate on much the same grounds. We remain one of the most vibrant economies in the world. Our average standard of living outpaces the norm for human history by leaps and bounds. In our economic gains, we have done much to elevate the length and quality of human life within our own borders. When people around the world wish to find opportunity to carve out a better existence for themselves and their families, they still think of America.

We retain the essential elements of liberty as well. Regarding the civil realm, we still have the judicial protections of due process to keep the innocent from false punishment and the guilty from escaping justice. We still have the enforcement of laws for our protection that, while far from perfect, stands well above most of the world now and in human history. The making of our laws, finally, still remains at base a product of our representatives and thus of ourselves. Our freedom still comes in our self-government through the wisely created structures found in our Constitution.

Religious liberty, too, makes us the envy of much of the world’s believers. We see many murdered for their faith in places such as Nigeria and otherwise punished in countries such as China. America’s culture is not as accepting of religious belief as it once was. But robust protections for the faithful remain in effect. If anything, they have been strengthened by recent decisions handed down by the Supreme Court.

At the same time, Lincoln helps us to not be blind in our thanks to troubles and struggles. Lincoln had a number of criticisms and concerns for the America of his day. The country suffered from a growing “lawless” spirit that was spilling into violent action. Moreover, the generation of the founders had passed and the question of how the living could continue their legacy now pressed in hard.

We also face challenges of no small magnitude. High inflation has squeezed many families in their pursuit of the American dream. An epidemic of drug abuse ravages many communities, especially in Appalachia. Our constitutional system has been pressed, stretched, and otherwise tested by elements that seek to undermine rule by the people or the constitutional separation of powers. Religious liberty, too, faces increased opposition from a secularizing society that has lost the original importance of faith in our personal and public life.

Like Lincoln then, let us give thanks for the many remaining blessings we enjoy as Americans. In that thanks, let us direct it where we should: to God. Whatever our own efforts, we should see in our goods the grace of providence directed toward us.

And like Lincoln, let us not shy away from seeing our faults and problems. Like him, let us seek to address and reform them so that we may renew our country as the land of freedom and opportunity. Seeing our faults is not displaying a lack of gratitude. It is a mark of our thanks, showing our appreciation for our blessings by seeking to leave them to our children in better condition than we received them. Doing so would make for a good Thanksgiving now and for many more in the future.

Adam Carrington is an associate professor of politics at Hillsdale College.