My kids have the week off for Thanksgiving break and I’m going to take the week off to spend with them and enjoy some family time. I pray that as a nation, we will all take a step back from all of the negativity and fighting and reflect upon the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us. I pray that we will remember Who has given us those many blessings and return our hearts and souls to Him. The Bible says that Jesus holds all things together. I pray that if we earnestly seek Him, He will unify us as a Nation.
The opportunity to bless others sometimes shows up in unexpected ways.
I haven’t been spending much time on Facebook lately. The political barbs are still flying and quite frankly, I’m tired of hearing it. I have never believed that a man or a woman was the answer to our country’s problems. If we are putting our faith in humanity alone, we have missed the boat.
But, when I did take a moment to scroll through my feed last night, a post from GodVine caught my eye. The headline was about a grandma’s text sent to a wrong person, going viral.
Now, my sweet Mama loves to consider herself tech savvy and that sounded exactly like something she would do, so I stopped to read it.
Apparently, a grandma named Wanda, meant to text the details of her upcoming Thanksgiving dinner to her grandson, but texted a perfect stranger instead. The 17 -year-old stranger was a senior in high school, named Jamal. When he didn’t recognize her number, he asked who she was.
She replied, “your grandma.” He then asked for a picture, which she sent. He then sent her a selfie, expecting to end the conversation when she saw they clearly were not related, but he asked her if he was still invited.
I imagine he never expected to hear from her again.
But, she replied, “Of course he was invited, she would save him a plate because that’s what grandma’s do, feed everyone.”
The shocked teen posted screen shots of the conversation all over Twitter, saying, “Somebody’s grandma is coming in clutch this year!!” (which simply means, saving the day)
Wanda’s act of kindness has been re-tweeted 150,000 times. Jamal said, “With…all the racial comments going on, it’s kind of good to see there’s still good people out there.”
Wanda was surprised about all of the attention and she met Jamal and his family a couple of days later and officially invited them to Thanksgiving dinner. They accepted.
Tears streamed down my face as I read this story. These are the stories that we need to share. The call to love one another is strong and we are often given so many unexpected opportunities to show the love of Jesus to those who so desperately need to see it.
Abraham Lincoln attempted to use the Thanksgiving holiday during the Civil War, to unite the country and he issued a proclamation: “I do therefore invite my fellow citizens…..to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of thanks and praise to our beneficient Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. I also recommend while offering up ascriptions justly due Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also with humble pentinence for our nationwide perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are currently engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of this nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.”
It almost sounds like a prayer, a prayer we could surely pray over 150 years later. I think Abe would be equally proud of Wanda and Jamal. Agreeing to accept a kindness is every bit as much a testament to faith as extending the kindness is.
I pray this Thanksgiving, that we will seek more stories like Wanda and Jamal’s and share them. I pray that we will become willing participants in stories like theirs. I pray that we will take a cue from Wanda, and make it our mission to feed everyone, because that’s what Christians do.
At a recent high school football game where our team completed a really long drive to the goal post, the announcer made the comment that the crowd needed to make some noise and reminded us that we weren’t watching golf.
His statement worked and the crowd started cheering. The team needed to hear that enthusiasm and they began to play even better.
I thought about the golf statement in the weeks that went by. Golf is a subdued game. Not only are spectators expected to be quiet, there are officials who actually hold up signs with the word “quiet” on them.
Football is not a quiet game. It’s loud and rowdy and the players love to be cheered on with all of the noise the fans can muster.
We are a week away from Thanksgiving and I wonder what kind of picture of gratitude I give to the people around me. I have much to be thankful for as do most of the people I know. I have a family. I have friends. I have a home. I have running water that gets hot. I have electricity. I live in a country where I am free to worship as I please.
I have faith in a God who has promised me eternity with Him after I finish my journey here.
Do I reflect my faith and my thanks to the world around me like a football fan or is my reflection more subdued, like a golf fan? Do people feel like they want to draw closer to Jesus after spending time with me? Is my faith hard to miss?
As I pondered these questions, I was reminded that like the players on a football field, God’s people need cheering on. We need to let people know that we are praying for them. We need to encourage each other as much as possible. We need to stand in the gaps and offer a helping hand when we can.
As Christians, we need to live loudly, so our faith is hard to miss, because life is not a game of golf. It gets rough and rowdy sometimes and at times, it’s the cheers from the sidelines that make all of the difference.
A football announcer reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Perhaps the rush to decorate for Christmas is a symptom of our heart’s desire for Jesus.
A friend of mine commented the other night, about how she doesn’t spend that much time on Facebook. But, she said what she had noticed lately, was that every time she logged on, someone was sharing pictures of how they had already decorated for Christmas. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet.
I’ll have to admit that I have noticed the same trend myself. I even heard a dad who was checking his kids out of school one day last week, say that his wife wanted to go ahead and decorate for Christmas this year.
We expect it from retailers. They go straight from Halloween to Christmas. They skip right over Thanksgiving, I suspect, because it doesn’t make them any money. A season where we are supposed to be thankful for what we have is not big boom for business.
But, what’s going on with the American people?
I have given it some thought and I have a theory.
Americans have just lived through a brutal political campaign and a brutal election. There has been lots of division and lots of ugliness and the barbs are still flying across social media. Peace and unity seem nowhere in sight. Perhaps the rush to decorate for Christmas has to do with the peace, joy and love that the holiday represents.
Perhaps that even though we have tried to commercialize and secularize Christmas as much as possible, the baby at the heart of it all, pulls us towards each other, whether we want to admit it or not. Perhaps our hearts and souls know, even if our brains don’t, that the peace that we all are yearning for these days, can only truly come from Jesus, who is the reason for the season.
So, perhaps the rush to decorate, is an effort to usher in the Advent season, where we expectantly await the coming of Christ and all He represents, balm for hurting hearts, rest for weary souls and salvation for all who ask.
As I prepare my own heart and home for this season of Thanksgiving and all that living a life of gratitude represents, I find myself joining in with all of those early decorators if only in spirit. Perhaps you would like to join us.
I felt like with a little time and effort, this chair could be redeemed.
A couple of weeks ago, my hubby and I picked up some chairs at a yard sale. We needed some new chairs for our kitchen table. They weren’t very attractive. They had definitely been used and showed some wear, but when I sat in a couple of them, they were very solid. They didn’t wobble in any way and they were comfortable.
It looked like it would be impossible to fit them in the back of my car, but we played a game of Tetris with them and found a way.
My daughter looked very doubtful when she saw our purchase. She wasn’t sure how we would redeem them. Since we bought seven and only needed six for our table, we decided to update the first one to be a desk chair for her. She still seemed very unconvinced as we shopped for fabric, but I knew there was something special there.
It took my hubby a long time to take that chair apart and then I sanded it to remove the old finish and prepare it for something new. Next, I painted it with a very durable oil paint that can stand up to all kinds of abuse. While it dried, my hubby and I reupholstered the old seat and back with new fabric.
We had to wait a long time for the oil paint to completely cure before we put the chair back together. But, boy, was it worth it. The chair looked brand new. It was hard to believe how ugly and beat up it had been.
My daughter was thrilled with our new creation.
It was hard to believe it was the same chair.
I really enjoy giving new life to old beat up items that to the casual observer, appear to be unredeemable. Perhaps it’s because that’s what walking with Jesus does for us.
He often finds us when we are beat up and ugly, seemingly beyond repair. He finds us when we have been used and damaged from living in this broken world.
But, then He takes all of those nicks and scars which come from hurt, anger, shame and many wrong decisions and He sands them off with grace and forgiveness. He gives us a brand new interior that spills over onto our exterior.
The new creation in Christ becomes almost completely unrecognizable from the place we started from. We feel shiny and new and we can’t help but shine the light to those around us, inviting them to join us in our new found peace.
A beat up chair from a yard sale reminded me that we are never too far gone for Jesus to redeem us; that is after all, His business. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Yesterday, our sermon was on the Ten Commandments. It was given by our Associate Pastor. I haven’t heard a sermon on the Ten Commandments in a long time. Before she began, she reminded us that our God is a God of law and order.
We are given rules to keep us safe. She used the example of driving a car. If we all got in our cars and drove in any direction, using any rules that we choose, disaster would surely follow. Good point.
She pointed out that rules are not optional and then she covered each one of the Ten.
When she got to having no idols, I found myself squirming a little. Sure, I’m not going to bow down to any kind of man-made image, but not being ruled by anything earthly, is more of a challenge. Things like seeking success, dream chasing and security don’t look bad on paper. But, when they become our focus above everything else, including our worship of the one true God, they become an idol.
She also threw something else into the mix I had never considered, fear. She said if we are living in fear of anything, losing a job, a medical diagnosis, ending a relationship, financial worries or even fear for our country, we are allowing fear to become and idol.
If we allow our fear to take the place of our faith and trust in God, then it’s an idol.
I thought about her point all afternoon. I thought about how it applies in my own life as well as those people around me. There seems to be a lot of fear these days. There are a lot of worried people and certainly a lot of chaos. Fear is sneaky. It can take over very quickly if we aren’t vigilant.
Could it be that the fear simply comes from taking our eyes off of God? Could it be that if we return our focus to God, first as individuals, then as families and then as a nation, that the fear would disappear? Would it then be replaced by peace?
Peace seems to be something that people desperately seek these days and it also seems to be so elusive. Could it be that a simple return to the basics, putting God first, could change all of that? Could it be that God knew that truth all of those years ago when He gave the Ten Commandments to His people through Moses?
As Christians, isn’t that what we claim to believe, that God is sovereign, that He loves us and He has a plan?
Yesterday’s sermon reminded me to watch out for idols, especially the sneaky ones. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Today we say thanks to our veterans for their many sacrifices.
Today is Veteran’s Day. It was originally called Armistice Day and was first celebrated on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War 1. It became a national holiday in 1938. It’s a day to honor all American veterans, especially those who are living, who have served our country.
I have the utmost respect for the men and women who willingly put their own lives on the line to keep us safe. My own Daddy and Granddaddy served. It takes people of true grit to put the safety and well-being of others ahead of their own. It takes sacrifice. It takes commitment. It takes belief in something greater than themselves.
Those were the ideals of the revolutionaries who started the Great American Experiment, those ideals and their faith in God. Those ideals and faith have served us well. They seem to be somehow ingrained in our DNA and each generation since those founding fathers, has willingly stood to defend this country that they hold dear.
Today is a day that we have the opportunity to pay tribute to those who walk among us. We have the opportunity to say thanks. The school I work in is hosting a ceremony where the children of the school were encouraged to invite relatives or friends and neighbors to attend. There have been many enthusiastic responses.
There are parades in some places and many restaurants are offering free meals to our veterans. It’s not nearly enough. How do we really thank these people for all they have done for us?
Perhaps the answer is to be a better America, one that treats them with dignity and respect, one that stands for the pledge, one that respects the flag that they were willing to die for. Perhaps we need to be absolutely sure that we are teaching our children the same.
Let’s make it our business to say thanks to our veterans today and to give thanks for our veterans today, because whatever your ideology may be, if it weren’t for our veterans, and the grace of God, we would not be here today.
Yesterday morning, I was tired. I stayed up too late waiting for election results. When I checked my Facebook feed, hoping that the brutal election language was over, I was very disappointed.
My conservative friends were gloating. My liberal friends were acting like the end of the world had arrived and both sides had to state their opinions in several posts. One was simply not enough. There were even people who had to list the reasons why they voted this way or that way, as if anyone really cares at this point.
As I took a few minutes to scroll through the noise that still populated my feed, a post from a dear Salkehatchie friend, caught my eye. He is one of the kindest men I have ever met. He’s a retired engineer and he works tirelessly in the summer heat to help Christian teens help others who are in desperate need.
I stopped scanning and read his post. He doesn’t post much, so I always take the time to read what he has to say. His message took my breath away. He asked for prayers for his family from his Facebook friends. His oldest grandson had been killed in an accident. He asked specifically for prayers for peace and understanding and ended with a simple thank you.
My eyes filled with tears as I said a prayer and my heart broke for him. I wasn’t surprised that he got many prayer replies and I wasn’t surprised to see that quite a few came from our Salkehatchie family.
This election has sucked up enough of the air waves. The division it has caused has been stunning. I don’t believe for a minute that it’s the end of the Republic, just as I don’t believe for a minute that a savior has been chosen.
In a couple of months, all of this ugliness will have died down. In twenty years, people won’t even remember the hateful words spewed from both sides. But, there’s a family who will always remember what happened to them on election night 2016, something far more important than whether a Democrat or Republican was elected.
He asked for prayers for peace and understanding which are the only things, along with the grace of Jesus, that can heal my sweet friend and his family. Come to think of it, those are the only things that can heal America too. I humbly ask you to join me in praying for both.
The beautiful view gave us no clue about the dangers ahead.
Last weekend my family took a hike. When we finally arrived at our destination, we rested. We had a snack and drank some water and marveled at all of the other people who were there. They were sitting around and taking pictures. Some were even in Eno hammocks.
After we had rested a bit, I was ready to head back. But, my son had noticed the steady stream of people climbing further up and then back down the mountain side. It was a fairly steep climb that I really wasn’t interested in making, but my son was and there were so many people doing it, how hard could it be?
As we began the climb, I asked my hubby what exactly we were looking for. He pointed out that the water in the falls we had been enjoying, had to be coming from somewhere.
I’m not a really big fan of climbing. I don’t mind going up, but I don’t like coming down. As we got near the top, my son pointed out a beautiful view and I snapped a photo. There were less people at the top and I could hear the roar of rushing water.
I finally asked a couple coming down if it was worth the climb. The young man assured me that it was, that you could see it right around the corner, but he wouldn’t go much further. I found his response odd and asked him why. He went on to explain since it was a forest fire we were looking at, that he didn’t advise getting too close.
He told me I could hear it. What I thought was rushing water, was the forest at the top of the ridge on fire and when I looked through the trees, I could see the red glow.
Our family promptly turned around and began climbing down. We told the first few people that we met that there was a forest fire. They all knew and were hoping to see it.
We felt like we were in the Twilight Zone. Who in their right mind hikes to see a forest fire? Did these people  not know the danger of fires in the mountains during a drought?
As we hiked back down, we could start to see some smoke as people continued to walk towards the fire. When we got back down to the parking lot, there were two large trucks and crews from the National Forest Service in their fire gear.
We were grateful to be safely back at our car.
I have marveled over that experience for the past several days. Why would reasonably intelligent people walk purposely towards a fire? But, then I got a quiet nudge asking why reasonably intelligent people walk towards spiritual fire? Why would we walk towards instead of away from things that will harm our souls?
That climb reminded me that just because many people are doing it, doesn’t make it safe or advisable. That climb also reminded me that as soon as we realize that we are headed towards danger, we have the ability to turn away and go in the right direction. Jesus will take our hand and lead us out if we reach for Him.
But, we have to be willing to turn around and admit we were headed in the wrong direction and we have to reach for Him.
A recent brush with a forest fire reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
We have to keep moving forward to where we are called.
Last Friday night was our high school’s last home game. It also happened to be senior night. There was a great turn out. Unfortunately, our team lost, but they played well. There was only one touch down and boy was it a good one.
A senior player named Roques Dowdy, ran the ball for a 79 yard touchdown. It was a joy to watch. He started off in a sea of players, all trying to take him down, but he kept his eye on the goal and kept running. Those pursuing him thinned out and Roques kept running. Finally, there was one lone pursuer and I felt sure he would catch him. He was so close. But, Roques kept his eye on the end zone and kept running only occasionally looking back to see how close his opponent was.
His drive and dedication paid off. He had a beautiful run and a touch down I’m sure he will remember for the rest of his life.
I thought about that run all weekend. I thought about how focused he was on where he was going. I thought about how daunting it must have been for him when he was surrounded by the opposing team, yet he kept moving towards where he needed to go. I thought about how even when he broke out of that pack and someone continued to pursue him closely, he only glanced back for a moment.
I thought about how we could all have that kind of drive in our faith life. We all have the ability to be focused on what we seek. But, why aren’t we? We all have the capability to not focus on the pack that we find ourselves in and to keep our eyes focused on God.
That run also reminded me that it’s smart to glance back occasionally and note that there is an opponent on the field. It would be foolish to pretend otherwise, but our focus should remain on the end zone and where we are called to end up, when we finish our run. Make no mistake, God’s team is much more powerful than the opposition.
That touch down run inspired me to ask myself the questions: “What is your end zone and how do you plan to get there? Where is your focus? ” Perhaps you need to ask yourself those questions too.
