Thanksliving

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.
The holidays have arrived, even in the midst of such dire predictions about our economy and the advice that we should be anything but thankful. I heard someone say recently, there are two conversations going on in America....those who are talking about losing half of everything in the past 6 months, and those who are talking about losing half of their money in the last 6 months...
It is true, it is all in how you look at it. Our investments have taken a hit, but that is far from everything -
As children of God we are to have a spirit of gratitude for the love and care that that identity brings to us. We are to practice thanksliving...
I try to live thankfully for the world we have - I could always show it more in how I choose to care for it.
I try to live thankfully for the gift of family and the spoken and unspoken strength and support we give to one another - I could always be more bold in how I show it.
I try to live thankfully for the many comforts we have in our American culture - I humbly recall the Africans who were cooking over an open fire for a group of 12.
I try to live thankfully for a church that expresses their generosityby giving away 250 Thanksgiving dinners - I should brag on them more!
I try to live thankfully for the little bits of light that break into the darkness to show me the way to go next...
Praying so many blessings upon you as we pause to give thanks. How will you practice your thanksliving?
Chris

It's That Time of Year

It will be two years ago this week that my father died. The first year was just figuring out how to go on without that anchor in your life, the second year is somehow a bit sadder because reality has set in like concrete. I miss him as much as ever.

The night my brother called to tell me they had found Dad in the 'old garage' unconscious and that the ambulance was there and "it didn't look good", I hung up the phone and was in a time warp. I couldn't get to Festus in less than two and half hours, I couldn't be there...so I waited. In the midst of waiting I took a time check...what day is this, what week is this....and then I knew Dad was gone. You see in my family death occurs the week of Thanksgiving. A dear uncle died the day before Thanksgiving some 20 years ago. He was a very brittle diabetic and had fought as long as he could....two years later, my grandfather died the day after Thanksgiving, a COPD patient, he too had gone on as long as he could. So as a family we had become accustomed to Thanksgiving equating celebrating a life that had been a part of ours. Like a pit in my stomach I somehow knew before the phone rang again and my mother said, "Dad is gone."

So that year, we did what we had always done, had a Thanksgiving meal, planned a funeral and gave thanks for the life of my father and all that he had given to us and to the world.

I grieve as much for my dad as for my mother...her brother, father and husband all died the week of Thanksgiving...talk about loaded...and yet it is because of that history with death that we have learned not to take anything for granted, and that when death comes it is always an uninvited guest...so we make sure we say "I love you" as often as possible.

Today there is a sense that everyone is at rest. Dad is where he is going to be, Mom is staying strong and keeping the homestead going for all of us. My kids watch music videos in the morning before school. My daughter is prone to Country music and one morning there was a video by Brad Paisley, featuring Andy Griffith - "Waiting on a Woman" Well that's my Dad - looks like him, and I do believe his is waiting on mom to join him, I can hear him say, "take your time."

It's that time of year, when my grief gets sparked and I endure the bittersweet reunion of family and memories...
It's that time of year, when we gather and give thanks for the many, many blessings we know as a family...
It's that time of year, when the last bits of life shine forth before their winter slumber...
It's that time of year, when I am caught between joy and sorrow, thanksgiving and grief, peace and turmoil...

Ain't That America

Back in late August we went to the first 9th grade football game of the season. It was at McCluer North HS in North St. Louis County. The team and the school are primarily African American. The game, being the first of the season, was a bit painful. There were tons of penalties called on both teams, frequent "illegal procedures" and the crowd got a little impatient with the officials. The Jays were behind at the half and were making a comeback by the third quarter. The score was tied in the early 4th quarter and the game was on...and as happens in football there were a series of calls against the home team and in the last minute, what could have been the winning touchdown was called back because of an illegal procedure of somekind. On the sidelines there was a father of a McCluer North player, who had rooted and hollered with all of us, and as it became apparent the game was over for the Stars, he said: "Well, aint that America." Shook his head and left for the car.

Now I'm not saying that any of the officials calls were racially motivated, or even unfair...and I'm not even sure this gentleman was commenting on race as much as the odds seeming to be stacked against the team no matter how hard they worked...but I was reminded that even when I would say "it's not about race" there are those that have lived in a different reality than myself and would say that "it's always about race."

Well I have thought about that gentleman these past few days. And wonder if he is saying "ain't that America!" as the reality of a new history dawns and we all wonder what the future will bring. I hope so. And I hope this time he is saying it with a smile.