I've written about Thanksgiving before and even shared a link to a story about the very first time we celebrated Thanksgiving. Although it happened almost twenty years ago the memory of everyone gathered around the table, the food (some alien), and the expressions of thankfulness, are as fresh as if it had happened only last week.
Back then I was inspired to continue to keep celebrating Thanksgiving, but the reality is that it is hard to accommodate in our busy lives, where everything is gearing up for a final end-of-year and all the associated stress that entails, where it is just another day with the usual responsibilities that go with life, and when if there happens to be a turkey in the freezer it's because we're saving it for Christmas.
But that doesn't prevent us from being thankful. And this year I continue to be thankful for so many of God's blessings.
I'm thankful for the family we have been immeasurably blessed with. As DH and I approach our fortieth wedding anniversary next year, we often look at the blessing of sons and daughters-in-law and grandchildren and feel so incredibly humbled that God has been so good to us. That a decision and commitment forty years ago has resulted in such a large and amazing family seems almost unbelievable at times. The only downside to such a large family is that it's so hard to get around all of them whether in phone calls or actual visits, with the result that we don't get to see them as often as we would like.
I'm thankful for our parents who are still living. Mine in Australia who managed to miss COVID (a blessing given my mother's health), and DH's mother in New Zealand who is still with us despite giving us all a nasty fright several months ago.
I'm thankful for the new life that is already so much a part of our family and so loved even though still months from being born.
I'm thankful that Son#5 and DIL#5 and The Most Adorable Granddaughter#8 were able to visit earlier this year even if it really wasn't for long enough. To finally meet The Most Adorable Granddaughter#8 was so very precious, and, hopefully, she doesn't forget us too soon.
I'm thankful for the many, many ways God has provided. I've seen it in our lives, in the lives of our children, in the lives of friends. Even in these tough times, God has always provided for our needs.
I'm thankful that God is always faithful to His promises. Sometimes it's hard to see or understand what is happening, but His purposes are always for good and His ways are perfect.
I'm thankful for the way God has grown us through the opening of His Word through solid teaching and daily devotions, and the ministry of others who love Him and are faithful.
I'm thankful for friends.
As I write this post while concurrently responding to a request for my books, I'm reminded that I'm thankful for those who read or purchase my books. I'm thankful that I can write.
I could go on but this post would turn into a novel. Instead, I'll finish with the story of our first Thanksgiving that was originally published in 2006 ...
Spirit of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving. The very word conjures up pictures of family get-togethers and tables piled with food, family members holding hands, taking time to reflect on all God’s goodness over the preceding year. A romanticized image perhaps, but I have often regretted that Thanksgiving is not celebrated in our part of the world. At times I have even thought of initiating our own Thanksgiving celebration, but as so often happens, the year gets busy and in no time at all Christmas is upon us and November has already passed. And so the idea is forgotten, discarded beneath all the other considerations that demand my time and energy.
Until last year when God brought Mandy into our
lives. We had no idea the day we were introduced that shortly we would open our
home and hearts to her. But open them we did, and as Thanksgiving drew near,
our American ‘daughter’ desired to celebrate her version of a traditional
Thanksgiving with our family.
However, Thanksgiving in the southern hemisphere
was not without its pitfalls and hilarity.
Since Mandy had never before prepared a
Thanksgiving repast she decided to do a practice run. The problems began
immediately she started shopping.
“I couldn’t find any canned pumpkin. I searched
the whole supermarket but they didn’t seem to have any,” she informed me. My
face must have reflected my surprise. Canned pumpkin was unheard of in our part
of the world.
“I bought a whole pumpkin but it’s not ripe.”
Again I was puzzled.
“How do you know it’s not ripe?”
“I brought it home and one of the boys said it
was still green and not ripe.”
I laughed. “Oh, they were just teasing. The
skin’s always green.”
A few days later, she came to me again.
“Where would I find canned sweet potatoes?”
“Canned sweet potatoes? I don’t think you’ll be
able to buy them here. You could try kumara – that’s the closest we have to a
sweet potato. Or yams. You’ll have to peel them and cook them.”
And so she planned and shopped, prepared and
cooked, converted recipes calling for American ingredients and measurements
into roughly-equivalent New Zealand ingredients and measurements, experimented
and discovered solutions, made numerous urgent calls to family back home, and
hoped and prayed that each dish would turn out.
With some trepidation I looked forward to the
Thanksgiving dinner. The practice run where she made pumpkin pies had seen the
pies still cooking at midnight. Although we were not accustomed to sitting down
early to our evening meal, midnight was too late for our collective digestive
systems.
The day finally arrived. As we stood around the
table eyeing the roast turkey, bread stuffing, gravy, sweet potato pie topped
with marshmallows, creamy whipped potatoes, green beans, red berry fruit salad,
and pumpkin pies, it was suggested that we each take a moment to thank God for
just one blessing He had given us.
The usual blessings were acknowledged: health,
family, friends, employment, God’s love, God’s provision; but it was my
youngest son’s prayer that touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes.
“Thank you God that my parents love me and
always stand by me”.
At the time I wondered: He’s only ten
years old. That’s a bit strange. What is he thinking? Then: Oh
no, what has he done now? Afterwards I queried him and he explained
that even when he made mistakes, even when he let us down, we still loved him.
His prayer that day challenged me.
Despite my shortcomings, God still loves me and
stands by me. He loves me even when I mess up or disappoint Him; when I let
other things crowd Him out; when I fail to acknowledge His goodness; when I
struggle to be thankful.
For there are times when I have a problem being
thankful. Times when I’d like to be able to rewrite Paul’s words: in
everything give thanks.
Does God really expect me to be thankful when
things go wrong; when I’ve been insulted and hurt; when there’s not enough
money to pay the bills; when I’ve spent hours at the computer only to lose all
my hard work; when the dishwasher breaks down as we’re walking out the door to
attend a youth camp; when the car won’t start and I’m late for work; when I
feel cut off from other Christians and misunderstood by friends in general;
when nothing ever seems to go right and I wonder where God is?
In everything give
thanks.
Surely God doesn’t expect me to be thankful when
my body threatens to miscarry the child I so desperately desired; when a
routine surgical procedure leaves me unable to walk or work and in constant
pain for months on end; when a family holiday is ruined; when I’m forced to
turn down a job I so desperately wanted because the employer changes the hours?
In everything give thanks.
That Thanksgiving dinner my son taught me a
valuable lesson: God’s love never changes. I learnt the importance of
cultivating a spirit of thankfulness: learning to thank God in the good times
as well as the bad, knowing that His love never fails. When things seem bleak,
God loves us. In our darkest moments, God still loves us.
Just as my son prayed around that Thanksgiving
table I can now pray:
Thank You God that You love me and will
always stand by me. Thank You that You will never desert me. Thank You that
regardless of how often I mess up or disappoint You, Your love will never
change.
Because of the example of our American friend,
we will celebrate Thanksgiving this year, but whether we celebrate it with a
traditional dinner or our own version remains to be seen. However this I do
know: we will take time to thank God that His love is unchanging.
And as for His other blessings: I already have
my list ready!
Comments