Thanksgiving
As a history major for my undergraduate degree, the story of the first Thanksgiving is problematic in many ways but ultimately a story about sacrifice for the immigrant stranger. Somehow we have taken this remembering of people giving food away and celebrating what we have to be thankful for, and turned it into a consumeristic frenzy with no regard for others. Yet Thanksgiving has always been the most important day of the year for my maternal family of origin.
My cousins would fly or drive in from all over the country and often drag along someone who had nowhere else to go. The Methodist church pastor and family was always invited. My grandmother said she hoped having guests would encourage us to behave. (Haha) She would spend a week making sure the tables were beautiful and all connected so no one would feel left out. My grandfather would say the same prayer every year “Dearly Beloved…”
Friends, we have so much to be thankful for even when the world seems so uncertain. It is amazing how creative we can be when we step outside the groove of “what we have always done.” My family gathered outside on my daughter’s sixty-foot patio with a view overlooking the property and the cows. We had never even considered having our meal outside before but it was perfect. We sat at different tables by household and we figured out how to dish up the food without spreading germs. This way we could remove our masks to eat safely. Since we love to play games, we opted for “Thanksgiving Bingo” which kept us apart and yet enjoying competitive time together. The kids got to help my daughter gather the eggs in the chicken coop and fish in the pond. When the sun went down we got out the Laser tag sets and shot each other as we ran around the property running away from each other. It was a strange day but what fun! We were forced to find a new way and we responded with creativity and ultimately (eventually) joy.
But I have to admit that it wasn’t joyful giving up all our traditions and we certainly complained about this virus that has plagued our lives. After we stopped lamenting, we found new ways that might just become new traditions because they were so uniquely wonderful. As I lay in bed last night, I was so thankful that we found a way to honor our most important family gathering and we were able to stay safely away from each other. I know so many of you gave up your own family traditions around this holiday as well. The grief that we feel in separation from our loved ones is real. The frustration that so many lives have been lost and disrupted is real. I don’t know about you but I am up to three people that I counted as friends who have died so far.
Yet, the sun warmed my skin and the sky was blue. The breeze was soft and the animals funny. The food was comforting and the laughter filled the yearning places in my soul. My kids were near and safe for now. My husband drove me home because I was tired. And in the midst of strife, and grief and uncertainty, I was so content. I hope that you will seek contentment in the simple joys of your life. I pray as we embark on this season of Advent that you will find a way to breathe deep and be thankful. I am so thankful for you and I look forward to this unusual journey- doing things we never imagined before- together.
You can stay connected with us during this season by visiting faithtulsa.org/advent. We designed this webpage with you in mind- it is a roadmap to help us continue the journey together.
