THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

November 23, 2022

Happy Thanksgiving!

LIFE IN THE FOLD

Thanksgiving day has always been a special day of being with family. As a young girl, I remember going to Grandma and Grandpa Horton's house, which were my dad's parents. Uncles, aunts and cousins would all be there. My grandpa passed away, when I was 10 years old, and soon thereafter each individual family began celebrating Thanksgiving in their own homes. Their kids were growing and getting married and things changed.

We began having Thanksgiving at home with Mama cooking the turkey and dressing and our family spending the day together. Mama passed away when I was 15, with my dad remarrying when I was 17. After that, our family would get together with Daddy and June around Thanksgiving; coordinating schedules with when June's family were getting together so that we could each have our own family gathering without infringing upon the other. Daddy had 5 girls, June had 5 children, and most were married with families of their own by the time the two of them were married, so this arrangement worked best for everyone.

That worked for most years, except for one particular year when it happened that each of my sisters spent the holiday with her husband's family. Two of my sisters were in two different towns in Kansas, one in Texas, and one in Missouri. June's family were all getting together on Thanksgiving day. I ended up without any place to spend the day. I could have gone to my dad's house to be with June's family, but wasn't really comfortable doing that. I could have gone with my sister, who was in Missouri, to her in-law's family gathering, but that didn't seem like a good solution either.

One of my nephews was engaged to a girl at the time and she was unable to go home for the holidays. He had asked if she could come spend the day with me and I happily agreed. So I spent the morning cooking and preparing a nice meal for the two of us, then waited.... and waited.... and waited some more. I knew that she had been having some car problems, so grew worried that she was having issues and broke down beside the road somewhere. This was back before cell phones.... long, long ago! Finally, I was able to get in touch with my sister in Kansas to have her son see if he could get in touch with her, just to make sure she was safe.

Long story, but it ended that some friends, whom she had thought would be out of town for Thanksgiving, ended up staying home and invited her to join them. She knew them much better than she did me, so opted to spend the day with them. I'm sure she didn't have my phone number, so had no way of letting me know the change in plans. Well, she could have called my nephew and had him tell me; but she didn't. Years later, she has ended up being one of my very favorite people and I adore her!

That was one of the loneliest, most miserable days I've ever spent by myself! By the time I knew she wasn't coming, it was too late to join in with anyone else; plus the meal that I had prepared was cold and not fresh anymore. I'm sure I felt sorry for myself and cried! I didn't have a very thankful attitude and was upset.

There are people who choose to spend Thanksgiving alone, and they are perfectly happy doing so. I don't understand that, because I love spending the day with family! But I've talked to people who are alone, and they've told me that they've had invitations and know that they are welcome to join friends or other family, but would rather spend the day at home and are content doing so. That's great, if that is their desire.

But this situation made me aware that there those who are alone, and they miss being with family and having others with whom to share the day. Whatever the circumstances may be, they find that they are by themself and it is a sad, lonely day for them. It's hard to find joy and be thankful when others are celebrating and you find yourself alone and lonely.

There is a difference in being alone and content, and being alone and lonely. There are times when people live alone and are quite content and have learned to find joy in their situation. But there are others who are alone, and they find themselves very lonely and yearning for companionship. There are also people who are not alone, but are lonely, due to various circumstances.... but that's a whole other topic for discussion!

If you find yourself alone, find someone else who is alone and ask them to share a meal with you. If you enjoy cooking, cook; if not, go out to a restaurant. Perhaps ask your pastor if he/she knows of anyone who will be alone, and get a group together to spend the day together. If you live in a senior facility, find someone else who is by themselves and invite them to share a table with you or invite them to come visit in your apartment. Perhaps get a small group together to visit and share memories of past Thanksgivings or to share things that they are most thankful for. Whatever your circumstances, find a way to ease your loneliness or the loneliness of someone you may know.

If you have plans with family or friends, but know of someone who will be alone, check on them and perhaps take them a plate from your Thanksgiving meal. Some people are uncomfortable joining in with family celebrations and feel awkward doing so; I understand that, because I felt the same. But ask if you could fix them a plate and drop off to them; and let them know that it would bring you joy and wouldn't be a bother. If that won't work, ask if you can pick them up a pre-made meal from a grocery store or restaurant. Even if they decline, that act of kindness can mean a lot to them.

Perhaps you will be busy on Thanksgiving, but know someone who will be alone or a couple who will be lonely without family. Call them or send them a card. Perhaps buy them a gift card so they can go buy themselves a meal or eat out. If you have leftover pie, drop it off to them on your way back home or have a family member run it over to them.

There are so many ways that we can show kindness and consideration to others. But many times, we become so busy that we fail to think of anyone outside our circle of family. I'm guilty of doing that!

Holidays can be difficult for those who have lost family members during the year. Those "first" holidays are especially filled with grief and memories and are so very hard. If you know of someone or a family who are dealing with that this year, take a moment and pray for them to be at peace and find comfort in the Lord. But also think of what you might be able to do in order to make it a bit easier for them.

If you have family to spend Thanksgiving with, do so, without guilt for having a family to spend the day with when others don't. Enjoy time with your loved ones! Laugh, eat, visit, and enjoy your time together. Cherish that family time and make memories. Give thanks to God for the blessing of family and having loved ones to spend the day with. Take a few moments to thank God for the love you all share and for all that He has blessed you with.

Whatever your circumstances, I pray God's blessings upon your Thanksgiving day. I pray that you will feel loved and know that you are important to God and others. Count your blessings! We all have so very much to be thankful for, whatever our situation may be.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Each one of us has a history. We have all gone through things. For almost everyone, everything we've gone through, someone else has or will, too.

We may be left alone for Thanksgiving after years of having a spouse to enjoy it with. So have others. And so will others. Those who lost a spouse in past years may be able to help ones who have lost a spouse this year.

We may be left alone for Thanksgiving because we never married and the rest of our family have passed on or moved on to their own families. So have others, and so will more.

On the other hand, we may be celebrating our first Thanksgiving with a new spouse or child. So have others, and so will more.

Whatever we may be going through, there is someone else, probably even someone close, who has been through similar. You may need to ask around. And you might have to share about your own situation. Finding someone with a similar past may be a comfort.

Jesus is with each one of us, too. He doesn't just read about our lives or watch from a distance. He experiences our lives with us. That means He has experienced everyone else's lives, too. So whatever we may be going through, He has experienced that with someone else, too. He will understand and be a comfort.

ON THE MENEWE:

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Preheat oven to 350.

Coat a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine and pour into your prepared pan.

Sprinkle the entire box of cake mix on top; followed by nuts and/or toffee bits. Pour the melted butter over the top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until center is set and edges are lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

Growing up, my sisters and I rarely wore pants. The only exception was playing out in the snow at home. I'm not really sure why, because I've seen pictures of mama before she got married, and she was wearing pants. My sisters and I think it was because we lived really close to my grandparents, who were daddy's parents. Grandma never ever wore pants and had some funny ideas about some things! We suspect that it was easier to have us wear dresses, than to argue with Grandma Horton and dealing with her. My aunts and their daughters wore pants -- but they didn't live close to Grandma.

One Christmas, the family were all getting together at Grandma and Grandpa Horton's house. Two of my sisters wore pants! They don't remember grandma saying anything to them about it. Only our parents knew if she said something to them about it later, because they never mentioned it to my sisters, if she did. They walked through the woods to get to the house. All the way there they pretended like they were exploring. They had so much fun! Funny thing is, they weren't young kids at the time, but the youngest of the two was a teenager, which would make the other one in her late teens or early twenties. Playing and using your imagination can be fun at any age!!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever. Psalms 107:1

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org