Thanksgiving 2013

Holidays are an interesting time for many missionaries. As I lay in bed having just read a blog by another missionary who is “shattered” this Thanksgiving missing family, it is all so real that many struggle this time of year. For Abby and I we are thankful to fall on the other end of the spectrum.

Today in many ways felt more like Thanksgiving than any other last Thursday of November in my life. Yes I missed being with family. Last year Abby and I got to spend a week on the beach with our families for Thanksgiving, but I got to spend this year with my family, Abby and our daughter Adalyn.

It really is indescribable what it is like to be a young man starting the next generation of a family, and what a great reason to give thanks. Adalyn is getting to that fun stage where she is understanding more and interacting so much. Abby is great at creating meaningful holiday traditions while still keeping the beauty behind the day.

We also weren’t alone this Thanksgiving. Having welcomed the Brown family to join in the ministry a little over a week ago, we had someone to celebrate with. Abby and Jodi worked so hard to prepare the perfect meal. I enjoyed throwing the football with Steve and his 3 boys. We watched Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving Special and also a street version of the newest Hunger Games.

Our meal was typical Thanksgiving affair. We had turkey, green bean casserole, cornbread, stuffing, rolls, and a sweet jello dish. For desert we had pumpkin pie as well as banana cream and cinnamon rolls. Everything was cooked from scratch and it was absolutely delicious!

I am not big on the month long Thanksgiving countdowns and such that come this time of year. If they have meaning to you then great, but personally I find them more of a chore than a significant way to thank God. Still without thinking of Thanksgiving I have been so thankful this month. I just feel like the Lord has blessed me so much, so I have spent the month being thankful without thinking about the connection.

I think 2 Corinthians 4:15 sums up Thanksgiving perfectly. Thanks Jeff Jackson for pointing it out. Salvation is the greatest reason to be thankful, so the best way to increase thanksgiving is to share Jesus with others. This leads to God being glorified which should be the result of everything that we do.

“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”        -2 Corinthians 4:15

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too. Here are a few pictures from the day: