Happy Thanksgiving friends and family!
I come to you today from a recliner, with my left ankle propped up and cough drops on my right. Last Friday I fell in my own driveway, injuring my ankle. Then on Tuesday, I got sick. Apparently, I am not supposed to cook or host Thanksgiving this year.
The ankle isn't broken, but people keep telling me a sprain is worse. I can now wiggle my toes and set my foot on the floor, I consider this progress. The cough and stuffy nose are getting better, though my mom and sister both tested positive for the flu. Sometimes things just do not go as planned. Yes, I had a pity party. No, I did not invite you. The fall is frustrating and embarrassing, and being sick just adds the icing on the cake. I am busy person who is not accustomed to pressing pause, unless of course I am traveling. :) My “Positive Polly” demeanor drove through a big pothole this past week and I am trying to sort things out. I am acutely aware my injured ankle and stuffy nose do not equate to the newly empty chair at the table or terminal illness others are dealing with on a daily basis. This is why I am frustrated with myself.
A couple friends from church suggested I read/sing the Psalms as I tried to stop finding the meaning in my current situation. What was He thinking? What does He want me to do? I can't serve others if I'm in a recliner with a busted up ankle and sick. I am really struggling with humility and patience right now. Psalm 31 stood out. David says, “I put my trust in You”; and “You are my strength”. Then in verse 7 he shares, “I will rejoice and be glad in your mercy. For you have considered my troubles and you have known the distress of my soul.” While I am wobbly and disappointed, my distressed soul is to be thankful for His love and mercy. I strive to do this everyday. I admit I fall short, but I try. That got me thinking about what I was really upset about.
The house full of my people.
I am the Thanksgiving planner and host. I take my job seriously. Thirty or so people come to our home for food and fellowship. Then we play cards, plan shopping trips, and laugh a lot. I am the caretaker of the pilgrim candles my Grandma always put out on the table. I am the custodian of Trevor's Grammy's special dishes we use each year. I am the hostess with the mostest...just not this year.
There is this song I love written by Natalie Hemby, performed by the Highwomen, called Crowded Table. Lyrically the song is our house. One of my favorite lines is, “The door is always open, your picture's on my wall. Everyone's a little broken, and everyone belongs.” We have had plenty of Thanksgiving visitors over the years. There is always extra food and chairs. Our home is well lived-in. The kids know where the climbing tree is and where the toys are; though they are all older now and prefer snacks to toys. We don't worry too much about spills and the dog doesn't mind it when you drop food on the floor.
In Luke 14, Jesus tells us to not just invite our friends and relatives to dinner, because they may invite us back. But to invite the poor and the crippled, because they cannot repay us. We will be blessed by their presence and “repaid at the resurrection of the righteousness”. I thought about this today. While my typical guests all had other places they could go or they just stayed home with loved ones, I thought a lot about those who are alone. Maybe not poor and crippled physically, but poor and crippled spiritually. I hope they found an open door and a crowded table.
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for my husband who cooked Thanksgiving dinner and wheeled me around the house, taking care of me. I am thankful for helpful neighbors and friends. I am thankful for my parents checking on me. I am thankful for the house full of people I missed today.
Your friend B
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