That ONE Thanksgiving

As I decorated our house for Thanksgiving, I asked myself, "Why do I love Thanksgiving so much?"

Different thoughts came to mind.

When I was younger, my dad was in the military and we moved around a lot. Sometimes we would eat Thanksgiving dinner in the base mess hall, where I was introduced to shrimp cocktail (still a favorite), ice sculptures, edible cornucopias, and active duty personnel with no families other than ours sitting at his table that day. Then, other years, I would get the distinct honor of setting the Thanksgiving table with my homemade place cards and hand printed menus for each place setting when we would eat with relatives in West Virginia. I'm seeing a "food trend!"

But then, there was that ONE Thanksgiving...

I served corn and green beans from coolers. It was Thanksgiving 1992 that I met my husband. We were both blessed to be Bonner Scholars. Our freshman Thanksgiving we would join other volunteers from West Virginia colleges to offer humanitarian aid to Homestead, Florida after Hurricane Andrew. I wanted to our college's public relations contact and team leader. Yahoo! My future hubby HAD to go because he needed to make up service hours due to a first semester bout of pneumonia. God has a sense of humor, let me tell you...what a matchmaker, right RUTH?! All 150+ WV students stood on the stage, of a hotel auditorium (where we were staying in between rows of seats), in a circle and drew names for Thanksgiving Buddies. Out of all those people, his paper said, "April" in my handwriting. Then, he switched papers with the guy next to him because the "other" guy wanted my name...I didn't find that out until months later!! My husband spent the next week shaking my ladder while I was nailing and tarring shingles to a Habitat for Humanity roof, befriending me when I couldn't hang out because I had to go to "leader meetings" in the evening, and making me a copper bracelet from scraps at the construction site. Now , I know all that was intentional, right honey?! Best green beans and corn I ever served!

So out comes our Thanksgiving decorations and as I think about the power of that ONE Thanksgiving and how God joined our hearts together I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Now years later, decorating our home, I open the Rubbermaid container to hear our four year old asking, "Did I make that?"

As we shifted through pilgrims, pumpkins, construction paper and traced hand print turkeys, I thank YOU, O God for...

Thank YOU for being my Light in darkness!

May Your Light shine from our home and ours hearts.

Thank YOU for being a God of abundance!
May our family's blessing box
overflow with praises of people you have brought into our lives...
those teaching us and those we are teaching...
preschool teachers, Bible Study girls, friends, and newborn family.

Thank YOU for being ever present!
Continue to take Your Seat in our home
with each decision, conversation, action, and reaction.

Thank YOU for never letting go of me and seeing me through!
Help me remember that even a little hand
can do BIG things
when one of them holds on to You!


Thank YOU for all of those "golden nuggets"
in Your Word
that melted my heart this year.
As we come and go through our day,
may Your Words ring the loudest in our hearts.

Thank YOU for showering me with Your Love.
Love has only one face...Yours.
Love has only one voice... Yours.
Love has only one motive...You.

Thank YOU for abiding in my heart.
For all who enter here, even if we entertain unaware,
may You meet needs and sow seeds.

Thank YOU for not giving us fear.
Help me to take stands for Truth as we live and leave a legacy.

Thank YOU for Your Grace!
I acknowledge that You place things in my path
and arrange each divine appointments for Your Glory.

Thank YOU for Your Vision.
How amazing You are to see through me!
YOU make all things beautiful in time.

Thank YOU for filling our cups to overflowing.
As we "gather together to ask the Lord's blessing"
let our gifts be what we give, not just what we gather.


Lastly, as I look upon my son's contribution,
Thank YOU for Your Son, Jesus, and what He did for me.
I am in awe of YOU. Amen.

This was such a special day, I think we just started a new family tradition and didn't even know it. Join us? As you look around your home where do you see Him? Thank Him.