Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  Bible Study Brother has been chugging along and giving it all that he has.  He has passed roses to people that have touched him along his journey through this life.  Bible Study Mama chipped in yesterday to eloquently express her gratitude.  While I am appreciative of them both, I could not let today pass without sharing with ya’ll the things that I am personally grateful for.

This year has proved to be challenging on many different levels for people.  Some of us have had to shelter in place with our loved ones.  Some of us discovered that we are essential when we had not been called that before.  Others lost loved ones…I used a plural because many people lost more than one person that was close to their hearts.  And those losses may not have been caused by the pandemic, but they still hurt just the same.  Through it all, we have had to find a way to keep our heads above water.  And it has not always been easy.

The pandemic means that my Thanksgiving celebration with my family will look drastically different.  I am big on family.  We spend lots of time together.  Thanksgiving is the kick-off to our holiday festivities.  We have long standing traditions that I look forward to.  On today, instead of holding hands in a gigantic circle while the food is being blessed, we will be on Zoom praying together and seeing what every family has whipped up to eat.  There will be no name pulling for our Christmas gift exchange.  No multiple Spades tables running at the same time.

But I am grateful that we are all healthy and able to be on the call.  I am thankful that love cannot be squashed by the pandemic.  I am grateful that I have a circle, really a village of people, that love and support me.  Life has shown me that everyone does not have people in their corner.  Everyone does not know what this type of love feels like.

I am hoping and praying that you do get the chance to experience this type of love in this lifetime.  The for better AND worse kind of love.  The for richer AND poorer kind of love.  That love is not exclusive to marriage vows.  My friends and family have shown it to me in multiple ways throughout my life.  Especially during the last couple of years.  And I am incredibly grateful.  God has been kinder to me than I could ever deserve.  Be safe while you are counting your blessings today.  #wepreach