For many of the years that Paulette and I lived in Winston-Salem we would host a Thanksgiving dinner at our house for my sister and her family and our dear friends Jim and Marguerite (Magee) Drummond. Fondly thinking back on these Thanksgivings helps me be grateful for family and friends. Let me tell you a little about our dear Christian friends Jim and Magee.

In 1973 we bought the house next door to the Drummonds, and the day after we moved in they brought over one of Magee’s apple pies. Her pies were to die for, and while we would only be neighbors for five years, we would be friends for years until their deaths.

It is sort of surprising that we became such good friends, for when we moved in next door we were in our twenties and they were retired. The age differences did produce some other differences. For example, one time early on, Paulette was going shopping with Magee. When Magee saw that Paulette was wearing slacks she said, “Are you going to wear slacks?” To her only a dress was proper for such an excursion. In a few years Paulette had converted her. We spent many afternoons on their porch talking, and there were lots of topics: baseball (Jim was a big fan), gardening, travel, Jim’s service in WWII, their years growing up in Vermont, church and religion, our time when we lived in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Colorado, and interesting things to do in Winston-Salem and North Carolina.

Paulette and I had been Christians since schooldays, and while we had attended church fairly regularly, we had never become fully engaged in a congregation. The fault was primarily mine, because of my over concern with my career. Jim and Magee were devout Christians who faithfully served their church. When we decided to get more actively involved as Christians, they were there for us, first as role models, then as listeners, and then as guides. We eventually joined their church, even though they had never pushed us, only welcomed and invited us. This Thanksgiving I am very grateful for having had them in my life.

In Exodus 23:16 and Leviticus 23:39 we are told to make special demonstration of our thankfulness after each harvest. Thanksgiving is a secular holiday, but these scriptures make it clear that it is one that we as believers should adopt. Not only should we be thankful for the things God has given us but also for the intangible blessings he has supplied. Two of these are families and good friends, such as the Drummonds. The greatest of these is God’s freely given grace, which He has given us because of His unconditional love for YOU and me.

Jim