On May 29th of this year, my husband and I flew to the Florida Keys to meet my baby sister, Debbie for a week-long sisters’ vacation (My husband came alone to keep us out of trouble). Since my son Ryan and his family hadn’t seen their aunt in a while, they drove done from Ft. Lauderdale to surprise her and spend two days with us.
She burst into excitement when they walked out on the patio of our hotel suite.
Millions will gather together for Thanksgiving to celebrate with family and friends. The turkey still remains the traditional centerpiece, sometimes accompanied by a honey baked ham. Tables will be set with all the trimmings: rice, gravy, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, corn, broccoli, stuffing or dressing, yams, cranberry sauce, casseroles, devil eggs, buttered rolls, iced tea and a myriad of other favorite dishes. Ice cream and pies—pumpkin, sweet potato, and apple—along with various assortments of cakes and cookies, will complete the Thanksgiving spread.
But what if Jesus invited you to His Thanksgiving dinner?
Thanksgiving time again. Time to feast on the sacrificial turkey… the bird slaughtered so you can enjoy a celebratory feast.
Time to experience the table full of grace… all the trimmings your body doesn’t necessarily need but craves… delicacies like casseroles, macaroni and cheese, greens, dressing, gravies, rolls, cornbread, cranberry sauce, pies, cakes, ice cream, etc. (but hey, it’s Thanksgiving).
Time to ponder over the table of mercy… the things you’re not eating, but truly need to eat to keep your body healthy… like vegetables, fruits, and salads without the extras.
As Christians, this should remind us of the grace and mercy table we eat from every day.
Our Thanksgiving gatherings will look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the number of people sitting around the dinner table will decrease to prevent the spread of the virus, hopefully our thanks will continue to increase reminding us, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Most tables still will be set with turkey, ham, dressing, macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, cranberry sauce, casseroles, corn, broccoli, buttered rolls and all the fixings. The dessert menu will consist of pumpkin, potato, and apple pies along with various assortments of cakes and cookies. The main difference may lie in the number of seats around the table.
Thanksgiving looms just around the corner and I feel the excitement of family gatherings and the traditional foods accompanying this holiday. Tables set with turkey, ham, dressing, macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, cranberry sauce, casseroles, corn, broccoli, and buttered rolls trigger hunger pains. Pumpkin, potato, and apple pies resting on the dessert table along with various assortments of cakes and cookies kill our diet plans. Time to get the plates out.
The Thanksgiving plate…filled to the brim with lots of our favorite foods. A plate packed and running over with very little room for the fork to rest its prongs. A plate carefully divided with above average proportions of the main menu items. A separate plate to savor multiple desserts. A plate salivated over, hopefully prayed over, prepared just for you and me, and ready to be worshipped.
The Thanksgiving plate reminded me of the plate, our life, we prepare for Jesus.
We tend to focus too much on the past. We allow the larger losses in life to occupy our time. Loss of a family member, a job, money, a relationship or a dream never reached. We get anxious about the future. Future of a family member, a job, money, a relationship or an anticipated dream. But if we focus too much on the past, losses, or the future, we lose what lies in front of us—what God places right before us now.
Each day that God gives represents moments in time. They come so quickly and go so quickly that if we are not careful, we miss them. They fade into the distance and remain gone forever. This reminds me to just be thankful for only now—the present.
