Such choices we have!  Will it be the apple pie or the pumpkin this year?  Will it be the mashed potatoes or the sweet potato casserole (or perhaps both)?   Will we invite someone to dinner or are we already part of a family gathering?   For others it will painfully be, how can I face this holiday in the midst of my grief?  It’s hard to think of Thanksgiving as just another ordinary Thursday. 

The holiday comes marked on our calendars.   We’ve observed it since we were children.   So, what to do now?  No matter what choices we make, it will be different from celebrations in years past.  I won’t be at Grandma’s table feasting on her spaetzle with gravy.  I won’t be roasting that turkey for my mom and dad to enjoy along with three young grandchildren.  I am not baking nine pies to take to my in-laws, so that everyone will have a piece of their favorite.  All good memories.

This year there will be four of us quietly enjoying a simple meal.  But my gratitude is no less.  God has kept me all these years; he has provided for me in sickness and in health; he will be with me and my family all the days of our lives.  For that I give God the glory.  God is good!  His unconditional love is beyond my comprehension.   Thanks be to God!

Judy