A Thanksgiving to Remember

Throughout my 40 years of life, I've discovered that life is a paradox, meaning that, my life has been full of incredible joy and deep sadness. This past Thanksgiving was a reflection of that.

I wish I could say that Thanksgiving day dawned as bright and beautiful as it always did when I was a girl, but that wasn't exactly the case this year. I slept through the sunrise that morning. I had a debilitating headache for several days last week, and I slept hard the night before. I didn't see the sunrise at all that morning, although the day turned out to be a very beautiful one. I was disappointed I missed the sunrise because, in recent years, I've come up with my own tradition on Thanksgiving morning. I like to get up early, often around sunrise, to cook turkey bacon. I love turkey bacon, and the smell of that sizzling in our kitchen on Thanksgiving morning is such a fun way to begin the day. Not this year. I woke up late. I was grateful I woke up without a headache though, and I felt better than I had in days! I was so thankful for a good night of rest! 

We have a tradition in our home of having a brunch on Thanksgiving morning before enjoying our larger meal later on in the early evening. Our Thanksgiving brunch usually includes: scrambled eggs, bacon (or turkey bacon), cinnamon rolls, a specialty bread, and hot, mulled, apple cider simmering on the stove. Quite often, our Thanksgiving brunch is served around 10:00 a.m. Not this year. This year, our brunch was on the table earlier, so much so, I wondered if it should have been called Thanksgiving breakfast and not brunch. I was a few minutes late joining the table for breakfast. And the turkey bacon? I hadn't cooked any yet. During our "brunch", I was like a "Jack in the Box", jumping up every two minutes or so from the table to see how my turkey bacon was cooking on the stove. Thanksgiving breakfast (I mean brunch) isn't as enjoyable or relaxing when you're trying to cook while eating.

I helped with food preparation the evening before Thanksgiving, and my mom had help from one of my sisters with the clean up after breakfast. I was able to spend some time with the Lord after breakfast that morning which was nice, but as the day went on, things went south. I won't proceed to share details of things I face in my home at times, but as the afternoon approached, I decided to go for a nature walk. 

Going for a walk on Thanksgiving day isn't something I usually do; in fact, I'm not sure I've ever left our home on Thanksgiving Day. Usually, I find something to do at home. But, since everything for our meal was well under control, I decided to go out. I took my Bible and my small 10 string Davidic Harp along with me. A harp is not something I usually take with me on a walk, but I decided to bring it along this time. It was, after all, Thanksgiving. 

I was glad to be outside, alone with God, my Bible, and my little harp. The nature area was quiet, naturally, being a holiday. I was glad for that. I didn't want anyone else on the trails to see my blood shot eyes and tear stained face. 

I found a quiet spot by the water and read part of a Psalm of thanksgiving out loud to God. My heart echoed the Psalmist as I thanked God for all His numerous blessings - too many to name them all! It was just me and God out there, and I could no longer hold my pain inside. My tears came forth in a flood as I literally wept into the ground and cried out to God. My heart then echoed the Psalmist’s grief and tears. 

Joy and sorrow. Sickness and tears. Such is life, even on Thanksgiving day. 

I cried while praying and walking back to my vehicle, and in a way only God can, I felt Him strengthen my heart and give me tremendous peace. I was amazed, and I decided not to drive home quite yet. I wanted to walk up a steeper path, a path still covered with some snow and one that overlooked the beautiful river flowing below. 

As I approached a certain spot, I saw a cleft in the rock. I decided to sit there, overlooking the river, to sing and play a hymn of praise to the Lord: 

"For the beauty of the earth, 

For the glory of the skies, 

For the love which from our birth, 

Over and around us lies. 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, 

This our hymn of grateful praise." 

  

My heart felt even more strengthened after praising the Lord, and the view was hard to beat. God was meeting me in my brokenness and tears. 

To remember my special time there with the Lord, I decided to snap a few pictures. The cleft in the rock brought to mind another hymn I've known and loved since I was a girl. 

"A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, 

A wonderful Savior to me. 

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

Where rivers of pleasure I see."     

Rivers of pleasure? No way!

There was a river flowing beneath me! I was nearly speechless as I continued to think about the words to the chorus: 

"He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, 

That shadows a dry, thirsty land. 

He hideth my life in the depths of His love, 

And covers me there with His hand, 

And covers me there with His hand." 

~ Fanny Crosby 

A dry, thirsty land? That was there in view too! 

I stood there in awe of God. God was reminding me of His love, His depths of love for me, and His hand over my life. His presence met me there by the cleft of the rock, the river of pleasure, and the dry, thirsty land.

I was overwhelmed by God's presence and love! 

Later, I added the words from that hymn to the picture I took on Thanksgiving.  

This past Thanksgiving is one I won't ever forget, not so much because of my tears and sadness, but because God met me in my affliction. In exchange, the Lord filled my heart with His peace and joy and gave me a song to praise Him with. 

Like a verse from the book of Isaiah says, God comforts His people in their affliction and brings them joy enough to sing. 

“Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.” Isaiah 43:19 

Thanksgiving 2022 is one I will remember.