Saturday Devotional...Be Thankful

A few years ago I wrote a satirical little ditty about long job of cooking and the often annoying behavior of the guests. The cooking is unappreciated and oftentimes taken for granted.. In my poem the guests are vociferous during dinner and end up paying touch football on the lawn while the one who cooked is doing cleanup. I was trying to be funny.

I have always been blessed with guests who brought dishes, and I still remember the amazing pies that my friend, Ernie, brought. My cooking prowess was the turkey, stuffing and that old New England holiday staple, carrots and turnips cooked and mashed together: it did not include gourmet pies. That was Ernie's job every year. My poem was just trying to be funny.  The fellowship was always such that I felt edified by the people sharing that day. We always had about twenty-five or thirty people who were family and special friends. The decoratios were and still are lovely.

The parents of my generation have gone home now, but the memories are precious. Our Thanksgivings are different now. Life goes on and the people who graced those celebrations are now spread out. Ernie has two daughters who have children and they live in Connecticut and in southern California. My two sons live within travelling distance, and they will be here with a daughter in law and two grandchildren. My daughter lives in Minnesota with her husband and son. There are many holidays when she is not able to come. A phone call is all we have. Two friends are coming down from up north. I have known Calista since we were about ten singing in our church choir in Rhode Island. My cousin, Sally, (like a sister to me), now lives in town and will be here.

The celebration has taken on a new look, it is the new normal Thanksgiving celebration. There is some sharing of food to be brought in by those who are coming. There is still the lovely time of relaxing and sharing family, friends and memories of long ago and recent years. There is so much more peaceful than Christmas to me. We will still say grace, and each will share something that they are thankful and grateful for.

These are hard times and there are also many things to worry about. Still there are so many reasons to be thankful. This is a day and a time to thank God for his blessings; to have faith that He has eternal plans to prosper us. Throughout the ages people had the same kinds of concerns. They are what God’s people have had to be concerned with. Still He is there with His mighty good will towards His children. Things change and sometimes we are slow to think that the days of the present are given by Him and that we need to focus on gratitude and hope.

There are still so many reasons to be thankful.

… be filled with
the Holy Spirit,
singing psalms
and hymns and
spiritual songs

 among yourselves, a
nd making music
to the Lord in your hearts.

And give thanks
for everything

to God the Father

in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ

              Ephesians 5:18b-20                                                       Corinne H.  Mustafa