Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I love the tradition behind Thanksgiving Day. I remember as a kid having Thanksgiving with my mom's family. We always had it outdoors in the beautiful California central coast, full of oak trees, dry grasses and rolling hills. I remember one Thanksgiving before my grandma died; she came dressed as a Native American and got all of us grandkids laughing. We ate barbecued turkey, cold from sitting out while we got the whole meal together.
As I've grown, I have learned to love this holiday. I love that for the most part, it's just one day. It's
about gathering. It's about sharing. It's about remembering.
It's not about remembering a historical event. Thanksgiving is about remembering who has shaped you. We remember all of those things that hurt, that blessed, that changed us and grew us. We are thankful for the ways we have seen God's kingdom come on earth. And so Thanksgiving has new voices, new prayers every year, drawing us to the present moment.
So for the rest of the blog, I will turn it to you [yes, YOU! There's space for plenty of comments]:
For who are you thankful and why?
I am thankful for my son. He is so expressive, full of life, talented, gifted, loves people, loves God and God's creations. I love you Brendan and am so thankful for you and for your zest for God in all things! (Amy)
ReplyDeleteDitto! I am thankful for today. Thankful for a weekend spent with family. I am also thankful for the present moment, this day; for great conversations last night at our Thanksgiving service. College students, a mom visiting for Thanksgiving, a homeless man who gave me a blessing after the service, young adults who are willing and able to give thanks and lead our congregation in thanksgiving; for face time that shorten the miles between us and technology that allows us to share our thanks with so many people. (Mike)
I am Thankful for a husband who loves me to his core; for children who love God and seek ways to serve Him; for a daughter-in-law who loves my son and together they seek God's guidance in their lives; for an imperfect life that keeps me humble.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thankfulness!