Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I can honestly say, “I’m beat!” It’s all good though.
We’ve had our grand boy since Saturday and have been doing all the things we can to make as many precious memories as we can. I think I can safely say I’ve learned the importance of doing so.
So, we’ve enjoyed a chilly night of college football, spent Sunday and Tuesday doing church and giving our all to Jesus, basketball with Pops at the local rec center, today we took him on his first hunting trip and he got to watch two bucks locking antlers. Tonight, as we were finishing up our food prep for tomorrow, Pops had an idea. We recreated a moment:
They say you never fully appreciate the value of a moment until it’s gone forever. So, we stopped what we were doing this evening and had our grand boy pose…resembling one his daddy was captured in on a previous Thanksgiving before he gained his wings. He didn’t know exactly what we were doing until I finished putting it all together. And…he grinned ear to ear; he loved it!
Our family is small (but with a lot of energy), so tomorrow we’ve invited others to join us throughout the day so we can share a plate of food, play a game or two and just enjoy the day a little bit extra - making memories and allowing the love in our hearts, which has no where else to go, to be imparted to others along the way.
The holidays can be difficult ; I won’t try to portray anything that will sugar-coat it. Balancing joy and grief is tricky. It’s never easy and takes time to learn the ropes- and still I don’t get it right at times. God is gracious enough to always be there though, always close, constantly showing up and being our Rock. That’s the answer to how I “handle” the hard times. It still looks quite messy at times, but He always understands, reaches out, and catches any tears that may fall. He also helps me smile; for I am truly blessed even if…
On tomorrow, a day marked for us to give thanks, it’s okay if we find ourselves holding a bag of mixed emotions. Just remember, no matter what, that God always knows our heart and will see us through the painful parts of our life. He’s touched by and close to the brokenhearted. No matter where we might be on our journey, know that each moment is an opportunity to allow God to take us by the hand and lead us into better tomorrows. It won’t always be this way, although it may seem to be true at the present. God still has plans for a smile to grace our faces and hearts to grow closer to Him in spite of anything negative.
I encourage you to try and make at least one tiny, simple effort to push beyond what you see and feel and allow God to prop you up and give you a special moment and a memory to cherish this Thanksgiving day. Look for it! If I could, I’d be right there in person cheering you on. Just know, no matter what, you’re NOT alone.
Be blessed this Thanksgiving Day ~ in Jesus name.
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