Thankless Thanksgiving...
I love the holidays! It's hard not to bypass Thanksgiving and jump straight into Christmas, but every year I make myself hold off on Christmas decorations and music until the day after Thanksgiving. After that, it's free game, and since Thanksgiving came a little early this year, I'll get to enjoy my Christmas fix a while longer.
To be honest, my favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the food. I LOVE the traditional meal of turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes, and my Grandmother's homemade pies. My family goes all out when it comes to the menu, so we leave with full bellies and bags of leftovers. I know I should probably be more sentimental about it, but the truth is that I see my family all the time and so the only thing different about Thanksgiving is the food. My small contribution of green beans and dinner rolls gave me a good half hour of anxiety today, and so I have to tip my hat to those who host these big, family meals. On the way home, I told Aaron that when the day comes and it's my turn to host, we'll be ordering our meal from Market Street because I don't think I can handle the pressure that comes with being the cook. The good news, however, is that when you're with family, no one holds those things against you. As long as there is food and it's edible, my family is pretty easy to please. I know that isn't the case for everyone.
This time of year brings forth a lot of emotions, doesn't it? The holidays are great for making one reflect, and they also conjure up memories from the past. And so while this is a time to be thankful, I know there are many people who woke up today feeling more thankless than thankful. There were families with empty chairs around their tables. There were people spending the holiday in hospital beds. This may have been a day where more tears were shed than turkey was eaten. A difficult season. A time where darkness is all too prevalent and pain is, too. A holiday that is supposed to be full of joy and gratitude and yet it's hard to see any of that in your current circumstances. I get it. I've been there, and I remember the feeling all too well.
I remember waking up Thanksgiving morning 6 years ago and I pulled on a pear of sweatpants with little to no care that the holidays had arrived. In fact, I was pretty unhappy that they were here. I sat at a table full of people who, although I know loved me, also pitied me. I hated it. I hated being the one person in the room who seemed to have nothing to be thankful for. Of course, the truth is, there is always something to be thankful for but it sure doesn't feel that way sometimes. I remember thinking how glad I was that we didn't go around the room and have to come up with something we were thankful for because I don't know what I would have said. And at the end of the day, a day I had very well expected to be terrible, I went to bed with a full heart. In fact, it was one of the best Thanksgivings I had experienced, and when I look back on it now I see why.
This may have been a tough year. You may have experienced a loss that you never saw coming. You may have walked through a deep valley or are its lowest point right now. Your dreams and hopes might have been smashed, your heart broken, your faith tested. This may be a year for the books, but not because it was good. And as you find yourself counting down the days until 2018 and wondering what you have to be thankful for, let me give you one to add to your list. One you can keep adding every year.
God's promises.
Because God's promises hold true. When our world is falling apart, they stay the same. His word never changes, it never fails.
So when you feel lost, alone, or abandoned, you can remember that, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." - Deuteronomy 31:8
And when you're devastated, heart broken, and hurt, know that "[The Lord] heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds." - Psalm 147:3
Regardless of what you're going through, what suffering you've faced, "You can rejoice when you run into problems and trials because we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment." - Romans 5:3-5
And that's why. We can be thankful because of the hope we have. A hope in our God that helps us through every situation. One who picks us up and carries us when we can't walk. Who holds our heads high and gives us the strength to keep moving forward when we'd rather stay in bed. A light in the darkness. A joy in the sorrow. A peace in the chaos. And comfort in the hurt. It's certainly something to be thankful for.
To be honest, my favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the food. I LOVE the traditional meal of turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes, and my Grandmother's homemade pies. My family goes all out when it comes to the menu, so we leave with full bellies and bags of leftovers. I know I should probably be more sentimental about it, but the truth is that I see my family all the time and so the only thing different about Thanksgiving is the food. My small contribution of green beans and dinner rolls gave me a good half hour of anxiety today, and so I have to tip my hat to those who host these big, family meals. On the way home, I told Aaron that when the day comes and it's my turn to host, we'll be ordering our meal from Market Street because I don't think I can handle the pressure that comes with being the cook. The good news, however, is that when you're with family, no one holds those things against you. As long as there is food and it's edible, my family is pretty easy to please. I know that isn't the case for everyone.
This time of year brings forth a lot of emotions, doesn't it? The holidays are great for making one reflect, and they also conjure up memories from the past. And so while this is a time to be thankful, I know there are many people who woke up today feeling more thankless than thankful. There were families with empty chairs around their tables. There were people spending the holiday in hospital beds. This may have been a day where more tears were shed than turkey was eaten. A difficult season. A time where darkness is all too prevalent and pain is, too. A holiday that is supposed to be full of joy and gratitude and yet it's hard to see any of that in your current circumstances. I get it. I've been there, and I remember the feeling all too well.
I remember waking up Thanksgiving morning 6 years ago and I pulled on a pear of sweatpants with little to no care that the holidays had arrived. In fact, I was pretty unhappy that they were here. I sat at a table full of people who, although I know loved me, also pitied me. I hated it. I hated being the one person in the room who seemed to have nothing to be thankful for. Of course, the truth is, there is always something to be thankful for but it sure doesn't feel that way sometimes. I remember thinking how glad I was that we didn't go around the room and have to come up with something we were thankful for because I don't know what I would have said. And at the end of the day, a day I had very well expected to be terrible, I went to bed with a full heart. In fact, it was one of the best Thanksgivings I had experienced, and when I look back on it now I see why.
This may have been a tough year. You may have experienced a loss that you never saw coming. You may have walked through a deep valley or are its lowest point right now. Your dreams and hopes might have been smashed, your heart broken, your faith tested. This may be a year for the books, but not because it was good. And as you find yourself counting down the days until 2018 and wondering what you have to be thankful for, let me give you one to add to your list. One you can keep adding every year.
God's promises.
Because God's promises hold true. When our world is falling apart, they stay the same. His word never changes, it never fails.
So when you feel lost, alone, or abandoned, you can remember that, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." - Deuteronomy 31:8
And when you're devastated, heart broken, and hurt, know that "[The Lord] heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds." - Psalm 147:3
Regardless of what you're going through, what suffering you've faced, "You can rejoice when you run into problems and trials because we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment." - Romans 5:3-5
And that's why. We can be thankful because of the hope we have. A hope in our God that helps us through every situation. One who picks us up and carries us when we can't walk. Who holds our heads high and gives us the strength to keep moving forward when we'd rather stay in bed. A light in the darkness. A joy in the sorrow. A peace in the chaos. And comfort in the hurt. It's certainly something to be thankful for.
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