The holidays are meant to be holy days. Days of peaceful contemplation, raucous fun with family (fun is holy, y’all), a time to start new traditions, and a moment to reflect on the past.
“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 CSB
Thanksgiving, is one such holy day when we do all of the above around a table filled with all of our favorite foods. There is no judgment either. Or there shouldn’t be much. Our uncles will drink more than their kidneys can hold, aunts will consume more than their girdles can budge, and men will watch more sports in a day than any good wife should allow, especially since she is notoriously left with the dishes…Wait a minute! Did she do all the cooking and now she is supposed to do all the cleaning too?…Of course I am being silly. My uncles enjoy cooking. They do most of it, and their dishes are delicious. My uncles even clean up after themselves.
Seriously. The blessing of the holidays is that we all receive permission from “On High” to eat and drink and be as merry as we like on round one. Then we get to go back for seconds and thirds. If we can move from the couch.
But after all the sugar, especially the liquid kind, the holy days can turn into hell. You’ve seen it: a person starts talking about that subject that sets everything off in the wrong direction. The situation escalates. Words are thrown and it looks like the situation may become physical. It usually doesn’t but the damage has already been done.
If I may, I would like to offer a suggestion for your Thanksgiving gathering. It involves only you and a few minutes for meditation.
Before you go anywhere today or receive guests in your home, I suggest that you read these verses on Love: The Superior Way.
“If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.”
1 Corinthians 13:1, 3-8 CSB
Get this into your spirit. Because at some point today you may realize you need more than nice words or piece of Patti LaBelle’s potato pie to get you through the day. You will need to exercise the greatest of all attributes. You will need love in your heart so it can come out of your mouth and show in your actions.
In 2022, let’s avoid the holiday table drama with a spoonful of Scriptures to make today a truly thankful time. Let’s pray for God’s love in and around us as we gather today. In Jesus’ name.
Happy Thanksgiving 🍁 🦃🤎
With Love,
Leah
p.s. Thank you for reading my posts, commenting whenever you can, sharing them with others, and patronizing the shop. I am so grateful for YOU. 💜