Thanksgiving . . . it’s supposed to be HAPPY! At least that’s what I hear so many say!
My wife and I have travelled to Kentucky to share Thanksgiving with her parents. In typical fashion, the cooler was full of goodies and food stuff for the anticipated Thursday dinner.
Because my soon to be 90 year-old father-in-law has dementia along with other health issues, we did not know what to expect.
Tuesday around noon, he fell. Surgery now needed to repair his fractured hip. There goes the original Thanksgiving plans. Not again!!
That has become somewhat an expected situation. In discussion of Dad’s situation, we recounted the other Thanksgivings within our families that have been rearranged due to . . . a surgery on Thanksgiving Day, another hospitalization, and ten years ago, my mother’s brief cancer journey.
Have some of your planned Thanksgivings been rearranged?
As I have pondered all of this, some of the following have come to mind.
First of all, every Thanksgiving is under the sovereign hand of God.
Second, rearranged holidays give us an opportunity to be genuinely thankful in the will of God (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and by the grace of God (2 Corinthians 9:8).
Thirdly, life does not hang on the holidays. True life is only found in and through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Galatians 2:20).
Lastly, rearranged Thanksgivings really help us appreciate those that go as planned (James 1:17). And having said that, our plans are fragile. God’s plans our eternal (James 4:13-15).
So, not again? Yes, again, and all the enabled grace blessings that come with it from the loving hands of our sovereign God that through Him can make it even better than a Happy Thanksgiving!
From A Pastor's Heart 
Life is Fragile we know not what a day may bring Thanksgiving is a Special day to give Thanks to God for another year of life !
So many Thanksgiving Celebration’s are missing people we love , we can go back in our
memories of the fun we may of had on Thanksgiving pasts
Laughing , playing games eating Turkey all afternoon then the left overs made in to a Casserole the next day now that is a
“Happy Thanksgiving ”
But Thanksgiving spent next to a loved one that can’t get out of bed can be a Challenge !
To the one that is stuck in bed or
Shut in because they don’t want to make the rest of the Family sick with their cold or flu .
Thanksgiving can be the loneliest day of the year !
Then it’s sad at some Thanksgiving Celebration’s
It’s a Full day of Drama !
Family get Fighting about things that should have been over years ago !
So if God brings a Shut- in to your mind call them on Thanksgiving !
If you eat at a Restaurant not only tell the person you pay that the meal was good tell the people making the meal Thanks if possible you will give a little Thanksgiving all year long !
Happy Thanksgiving
Bryan Gfeller