The tin roof on the old farm house echoes the sound of the falling rain. The fire crackles in the old stove as excitement rises with the anticipation of the day ahead. Last minute errands and a trip to the airport to greet our loving daughter top the agenda. Gratitude fills this racing heart as we recall the wonders and blessings that have been witnessed this season. A new and healthy grandchild, promising employment for two of the children in need, exciting travels to places only dreamed about before, and relief from labored walking are among the joys for which we give thanks. As a time of remembrance approaches we are reminded that the greatest gift to human kind is the birth of the Savior whose often painful but nevertheless perfect life was given as a love offering for us. Neither earned nor deserved, grace embraces us with perfect love and bestows mercy that saves is from what we truly do deserve. The wonder of the Gift was wrapped in “swaddling” clothes and witnessed lying in a feed trough in that tiny town called Bethlehem. The greatness was neither the wrapping nor the surroundings, but rather the gift of new life found within. May the wonder of the Creator’s grace and mercy feed the flame of love in you this Christmas!
Heat radiates from the old wood stove as morning is illuminated through the cloud wrapped sky. Gracie, the Golden, has settled down for her first morning nap at the foot of the sofa. Vanessa, my granddaughter, still sleeps as the corner has turned to begin shorter nights and longer days. Soon our daughter will arrive for a Christmas at the farm not experienced in many years. There is still much to prepare as we approach this glad time of celebration of He who changed the course of human history. As we reflect on days past and hope for days to come we are filled with gratitude that the One whose birth we embrace in the coming days is the same One to whom we give thanks for life each day. Sometimes through pain and sometimes through its absence, we lift a thankful heart that God’s gift of grace is with us at all times.
Sun streams brightly through the bamboo shades illuminating the library den in our Florida condo. Soon we will be handing over the keys to the new owners who have fallen in love with the location and décor and want to make it their own. As we sit quietly contemplating the many blessings for which we are thankful, we are consumed with gratitude. The newest blessing has been the arrival of granddaughter Londyn Rose, who has brightened our lives even greater than that sun streaming through the blinds. Strong and healthy, she has begun her days of adaptation, learning, change, and discovering the gift that is life itself. As she physically matures we all who love her will have the opportunity to demonstrate the love that knows no boundaries; the one from the giver of life Himself! Today, gratitude is the newborn child, wrapped in her warm blanket and held in the arms of her loving parents!
Brown with patches of residual green the fields in front of the farm house lay beneath the cloud diminished sunlight. Periods of drizzling rain happen upon us as nature expresses yet another change in her never ending cycle. Warm and secure within the shelter of our home this thankful inhabitant reflects with gratitude upon the days and months past. Opportunities presented and actions taken that have yielded desired results and those which have yielded undesirable outcomes are among the collection of memories which we gratefully sort through. Memories serve the purpose of framing the background for today, not through comparison, but rather as a foundation in grace and mercy that have rendered today as being possible in our experience. As one presently looks ahead to the completion of today and the hope of another, the knowledge that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28), serves as a peaceful foundation.
Suddenly awake I lay there in the bed hoping to return to the land of dreams. The quiet permeated the room and not even the dog expressed her usual snore. Giving thanks in those silent moments took me to a place recalling people for whom the promise of prayer had been given over the past week. Thoughts of each individual lingered as I asked God for answers to each person’s prayer. In those moments of silence in the presence of communing with the Creator, there arose a sense of connectedness that brought about a state of peace. Gratitude engulfed me like a cocoon holding its chrysalis that would soon emerge as a different expression from the previous being. Lying there before the dawn, consumed with thankfulness, I recalled the words of the Apostle Paul to the church in Philippi when he said: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
The ache was becoming more and more intense. Turning from side to side and then on the back offered only momentary relief. It seemed useless to stay in bed any longer since the pain in the lumbar was not relenting and no place was offering a respite. This experience seems to be arising as the norm. Thoughts run rampantly to a place that questions what I might have done that caused this now common occurrence. PD, age, a lumbar cyst or any other number of things may be behind the throb, but nothing that I can recall doing shows me a direct link. In the Gospel of John, chapter 9, the disciples ask Jesus as they happen by a blind man Jesus will soon heal whether the man or his parents have sinned, causing the blindness. Jesus surprised them with His response; “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Gratitude fills my heart that opportunities exist to emerge from the bed and “walk off” the discomfort. Thankfulness that grace is sufficient to free me from the throws of self-deceptive belief (and action) that I can always have it my way permeates my thoughts. The pain may not completely go away but the burden of self-reliance and determination, when surrendered, leads to a “heart” healing that is the victory. Gratitude outweighs the pain and lifts the heart to a higher place when touching that place of surrender!
The clock showed the time as 5:11am. Searching my mind for the last thing I remembered before dozing off I calculated a decent five and a half hours sleep. Although I desired to go back to sleep my mind was wide awake with the early chores of the day already planned out. Even Gracie, the Golden, was still curled neatly on her bed when I slid on my fuzzy slippers and made my way out from the bedroom. The daily dose of thyroid booster ingested, the world of chores began to open up. As I collected wood, stoked the fire in the old stove, walked the dog, and put on some eggs to boil, I was suddenly struck by the recollection that the day was Thanksgiving. The morning had already been underpinned with my thoughts of thankfulness for family, for friends, for supply of needs, but most importantly, for relationship with the Creator. Although life has not been the “bowl of cherries” I may have desired as a child, neither has it been a disaster that I may have feared. Through the years, joy, sorrow, challenge, disappointment, pain, excitement, and peace (among others) has each been underpinned with gratitude for that relationship that sustains now and forever – the relationship with God. Although Thanksgiving is a designated day in the United States, thanksgiving is more than a holiday; it is a way of life
Lounging comfortably near the radiating wood stove and reading the day’s early morning devotional, there arose a persistent “thump, thump” coming from the kitchen. Its sound was familiar to the ones heard randomly during the previous week. A quick observation confirmed the thumping source. An Eastern Mockingbird had lingered too long at the poke berry vines bearing its intoxicating fruit and was now drunkenly insisting upon entering the kitchen through the double paned window. Further evidence of the bird’s indulgence was found in the splattered purple renderings on the window screen. Nothing seems to deter this bird from her drunken quest. Time will facilitate her metabolism and the eventual reduction in her drunken delirium. Absent the drunken delirium, often pesky PD symptoms arrive at the “window” of perception insisting upon entering for an extended visit. The “double pane” window of medication and exercise reject the sometimes persistent intrusion leaving only a reminder that without the protection, the drunken bird of symptoms would come to roost. Grateful for the opportunity to fend off the intruder, this recipient of grace lifts prayers of thankfulness!
Wind whips quickly from the northwest bringing with it bone chilling change from cold to colder. The full leafed pecan tree standing stately in the sun lit terrain suddenly gives up its leaves to the blowing flow and then stands barren and exposed. Summer is far behind us now and soon autumn will give way to a full fledged winter. Change is omnipresent and at times such as these makes itself known to a greater degree than others. Experience tells us that these days too will give way to others and the rebirth of springtime will emerge with welcomed chirps and warmer winds. Change is an intimate part of life. Some see it as an enemy where others see it as a friend. Peace comes in its embrace within the arms of gratitude for within that embrace awaits the richness of the Creator. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Heat radiates from the old cast iron stove and fills the room with its welcoming warmth. The old pot nearly full of water simmers gently as it gives up its moist rendering in the otherwise dry air. Gracie the Golden Retriever sleeps gently by my chair soaking up the warmth on a winter like fall day. Free of pain and agony that left as abruptly as it came three days ago, I reflect with gratitude upon the gift that is another day. Armed with an agenda of tasks and errands, we make our plans to accomplish all in the light of a thankful heart. “This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
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