Linda Stoll: On the Porch #24 * Thanksgiving Edition

When morning gilds the skies,
My heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer
To Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Let earth's wide circle round
in joyful notes resound:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let air and sea and sky
from depth to height reply:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, when day is past,
of all our thoughts the last:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The night becomes as day
when from the heart we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Caswall & Barnby

1853

Wow, gang! It's the weekend before Thanksgiving!

A big ol' turkey? Endless football games? Pumpkin pie smothered in whipped cream? The parade? Church service? A quiet solitary day? A pre-made lasagna? A visit to the care facility? Grandma's traditional recipes? Serving at the community meal or soup kitchen? Board games or a movie or a brisk walk? Maybe a tryptophan-induced snooze to fortify you for very early Friday morning shopping?

{I will do my part to make the festivities even more out of hand by heading out on the road with 53.4 million of my closest friends.}

Whatever floats your boat, I hope that all is calm and bright wherever you find yourself ... and that your people are healthy and fortunate enough to gather together.

Thankfully, our 'people' don't have to be related by blood. And traditions do well to be flexible and expansive, free to change from one year to the next as we're sensitive to the needs of those around us. Our 'people' are those we reach out to, those who God has put on our hearts to enfold into this day ... and hopefully into our lives.

Sometimes that enfolding is completely accidental and long lasting like it is for Jamal and Wanda.

Could be that overwhelming grief nudges you to upend tradition by roasting marshmallows over the fire instead of going around the table saying what you're thankful for.

There's not a gathering that wouldn't benefit enormously from a Tech Shabbat.

And an extra dose of kindness if strong differences on faith, covid, or politics is the elephant in the room.

Hopefully this ridiculous kitchen disaster won't happen.

For sure, these chocolate covered strawberry turkeys look like a whole lot more fun. {J - can we make these?!}

Meanwhile, grab the tissues for this song.

And I'm offering this prayer up to heaven yet again.

It never fails to amaze me at the odd ways tender sadness and sparkling joy mingle, how the bittersweet ache and hearty laughter truly can go hand and hand ... and how the craziness of it all can kick off an onslaught of gratitude that we simply must speak out loud. It's how He made us.

Bless your grateful heart, bless your open door, bless your hospitable spirit ~

Linda