This Thanksgiving is a little different... again in 2021. For different reasons this year. This year, Mama, Brother Monte, Uncle Jim, Brother-in-Love Ken and several special friends we hold dear are in heaven this Thanksgiving. Seven in seven months.
So many are feeling the empty seat at the table, too. The holidays are especially hard for those whose family table has changed over the past year.
We will still choose gratitude, even in grief. We choose gratitude because we are instructed to give thanks in all things.
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
In all things! In grief and in joy. In loss and in new additions. In times of plenty and in times of need. Why? Because, in gratitude we find peace and joy.
Perhaps this is a season of grieving for you and your family. Thanksgiving is November 25th this year. If you have never kept a short gratitude log, try from Thanksgiving to New Year's. It is a little over a month. Yes, it is a busy season, but perhaps it makes the moment of daily reflection even more important.
If you are at a loss as to where to start, try listing a few things learned from loved ones missing at the table this year. I believe I will join you. It doesn't have to be fancy.
Bacon. Meat candy according to our friend, Kent. He is with Jesus this year and we miss him fiercely. Every time we make bacon, I hear Kent's voice saying, "Meat candy".
This makes me smile. And, it is a reminder to say a prayer for others missing loved ones this year for the first time. On the other side of the coin, we have loved ones in the presence of Jesus this holiday season. For them, it is but a blink and we will be with them. For us, the clock moves more slowly in sadness.
Their joy in heaven is complete. They have a seat at Heaven's table. Every day is full of the presence of the King. Don't worry, there are plenty of seats for those who believe and receive the invitation.
Today, I am grateful for Heaven's table.
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