If you live in America, this week’s Hump Day is the day before Thanksgiving! What a hump to get over!!! I know many of you are rushing to the store for last minute decorations, games and food ingredients. I hope you find time to read this before you’re off to the races because I have an activity for you to try at Thanksgiving. And you may need to grab items at the store.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and it’s centered on family, friends and a lifetime of memories. Our personalities drive the way we approach the festivities. We tend to prepare in ways that makes it work for us. Too often we get focused on the day, the food, and who we’ll have to endure. I would like to invite you to review this day through the eyes of a child.
Look at the image for this blog. Ask yourself this question: What will I focus on this Thanksgiving?
Will you embrace family, and precious memories while treasuring the new ones? Will you leave the images and drawings you have up on the fridge because they depict family and love or… will you remove them because they rob from the decor?
Will you go into the day celebrating love, family and friends or… frustrated because of anticipating angst with various family members?
Do you remember the drawings your-young-little-self drew to display on the family fridge? What happened to that child?
A lot can happen in the life of a child. And it’s not always good. Have you suffered at the hands of others? Were you neglected because of family troubles? Were you overlooked or ignored? Did you feel like a misfit in your family? Were you the one who ruled the roost by mischief, drama, manipulation? Do you still rule the roost on Thanksgiving? Have your siblings forged paths with which you don’t agree? Are there family members who are hard to be around because of substance abuse? Are you struggling with some of these things yourself?
While forging our paths in the world we’re influenced by our families. Whether good or bad, we’re influenced. We react. We adapt. It all makes and impact on us.
However, God is there. God was there. God sees it all. God saw it all. And there will be an accounting. For you, God desired you to be raised with his love but we live in a fallen world. But you should know it was not his intention for you to suffer at the hands of others. Your parents were to raise you in him and his truths but the fall affected the entire world. And we all have many struggles along the way. Christ tells us this but he follows that telling us how we can rejoice because he overcame the world. He came to set it right, to pay the debt. And there will be an accounting.
In the meantime, he is there. Turn to him. Embrace family and friends and endeavor to be a vessel that he can use to nourish the young ones in your life through him. Point them to him through your walk and your life. In so doing, you’ll show them the love of Christ. You’ll embrace family events like Thanksgiving with thanksgiving because of what he has done for you. You’ll embrace the day with an eternal mindset. You’ll take every opportunity to point others to him through how you love all people and interact with them.
On Thanksgiving, take time with the little ones to make drawings which they can happily display on their own fridge. You’ll make precious memories and place eternal-pulse-points in their lives. Let this be the starting point for the rest of the year and Lord willing, follow through again next Thanksgiving. You’ll be amazed at the conversations that transpire as you avail yourself to care and nurture a child in the love of God.
So, be prepared tomorrow. Take paper, colored pencils and/or crayons. Don’t forget to get some magnets to display the drawings so you don’t have to ask the hostess to find some. When done drawing, walk with the children to the fridge and display their artwork with them and watch them shine! If you’re the hostess, carve out time for this activity. You’ll be glad you did.
Come back to this blog and share how it went! I know it’ll impact you more than you think it will. And it just may become a treasured tradition.