The Feast

One of these turkeys is gonna get cooked. As Thanksgiving morning dawns, the stuffing is ready to stuff, the table is set, the guests are on their way, and the feast is about to begin.

Our family has a tradition of putting a bean (instead of a kernel of corn--our nod to the Latin side of the family) in a small basket that is passed around as we express our thankfulness for something, anything...one thing.

This year will be a little harder. The table keeps shrinking as we have lost those dearest to us. This year we lost my daddy, and it is hard to be thankful when there is a big gaping hole at the head of our table.

But if I close my eyes and concentrate, I can think of a thousand things to be thankful for as it relates to my dad: his calm presence in my life, his unconditional love and support for me throughout the years, his wit and humor, even to the very last day of his life, his faithfulness to his sweetheart of 64 years, my mom... I could go on. I am incredibly thankful.

And according to the latest research, it's good to be thankful! In one study, even writing down one or two things in a journal once a week produced positive results: the participants felt happier, slept better, weren't bothered by criticism, and were more optimistic overall.

So I choose to be thankful. And I look forward to the day when I will see my loved ones again, at an even bigger and better feast, the feast of the Lamb. And what a feast that will be!

(I hope He serves turkey.)

"People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God." Luke 13:29