Two weeks before Thanksgiving I had the pleasure of attending my youngest granddaughter’s wedding. I was impressed by how she and her fiancée choose simple décor and less elaborate and expensive elements for their wedding and reception. She was a beautiful bride and he, a charming groom. It was a bittersweet affair with the absence of her dad and grandpa, who have been promoted to heaven. I shed a few tears when my daughter walked her daughter down the aisle.
I am blessed. God has provided my needs, and many wants. He has given courage and strength when I had neither. I am learning to live a life of gratitude, which I call “thanks living.” Last week both daughters and their families, except for three grandchildren, were around the Thanksgiving table. This year, as in some previous years, the table was shared with my deceased brother’s family. They live nearby. My sister-in-law lives on the next hill and her children’s families live several more hills and mountains away. It’s one time of the year when the cousins can play their favorite card game, “Rich Man, Poor Man.” They only see each other a few times a year.
After Thanksgiving, my family set up my 9-foot Christmas tree. I watched in amusement as they started stringing the lights around the tree. My two daughters are very different, and both have strong opinions evident from childhood. And I am proof that firstborns can be bossy. Mix in a son-in-law and two grandsons and use your imagination. I must say the males were quite restrained and the girls worked it out. I sat and remembered such events from the past and gave thanks for the love of family!
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving and will continue in thanks living!
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).