Thanksgiving on the farm

I LOVE Thanksgiving!   I am beginning to agree with my son, Aaron who says Thanksgiving is better than Christmas.  It isn’t about what you are going to get. –  Well, except an obscene amount of good food.  It isn’t a rush to figure out who got the most or the biggest – Well, except maybe comparing pieces of pie.  All in all, it is a whole day to think about how blessed we are as individuals, as a family, and as a nation.  Not that people actually do that all the time, but I really try.

God asks us, as His children, to be thankful in all things.  Some years, I had to work hard to find the things I was thankful for.  The first Thanksgiving after we moved away from our big family and had a tiny little four person Thanksgiving – I was lonesome for home, missing the big family, but thankful for enough money to have turkey and stuffing and thankful for my new baby girl.  Some years, I had to put aside the list of things I was stomping my foot about not having and actually work up a list of what I had that I could be thankful for.  

This year was not a challenge.  I am thankful to be able to be the gathering place of the big family for Thanksgiving dinner.  I missed a few people who were not able to join us this year, but so much enjoyed having everybody out to the farm.  It was loud – as usual.  It was messy – as usual.  We didn’t attempt the china and stemware this year – it was more relaxed than that.  But, we still managed to have sparkling cider.  It rained – we didn’t care.  We played corn-hole anyway.  

I am in awe of the things that I am allowed to enjoy in this life.  I am astounded by the goodness of God in my life.  I am blessed with my farmer man, my big ole family, children who cause me to smile so often, grandchildren who are the sweetest tornadoes on the planet.  Sometimes, I can’t believe I get to live this life.  The next time I feel exasperated, I will come back and read this.  

Our laid back Thanksgiving was a blessing.

It wasn’t perfect – I missed my brother and his wife, my niece and her husband, and my youngest son.  They were all out of town and unable to make dinner that day.  But, God blessed our noisy little gathering and we took time to thank Him for the many, many, many blessings that we enjoy.  We have nothing good except that it comes from Him.

I hope your Thanksgiving was as blessed.