I know Thanksgiving is history. Even the leftovers are gone by now. I'm as excited as anyone to move on to lights and trees, Christmas Carols and nativities, but there are a a couple of Thanksgiving memories that just need to be included here in this little blog of mine.
Note to self: Remember to sign up to help with every Kindergarten Thanksgiving feast your children are part of. After the meltdown my son had when I didn't show up for lunch with his class a few weeks ago, the next volunteer sheet that came home was for the Thanksgiving feast. I signed up. How hard can it be to serve apple slices and popcorn to kindergarteners. Sounds much easier than creating glittery Christmas ornaments--count me in.
And truly it was no big deal. Open a few bags of carrots, slice a few apples and run the hand sanitizer pump like a pro. In exchange I got to watch the cutest little people put on a darling show. They sang several song. Marched around the room in there Indian feather hats and painted pasta necklaces. They did those little finger plays that Kindergarten is famous for. I'd have missed it all if I hadn't signed up to serve those carrots. I suppose the teachers probably reuse the same ideas every year but I was super impressed with their ideas and crafts. Projects I would never dare to attempt with 2 little people much less 20 of them.
They ended with an impressive rendition of This Land is Your Land. I wish I had known what was coming, I'd have saved room on my camera card to record it!
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Roasted us a tasty good turkey this year. Almost every year my hubby brings me a free fresh turkey. While I'm not big on the whole carving (a.k.a. picking meat from bones for hours) thing, there is something domestic-y and satisfying about smelling that baby roasting all day and then pulling a golden bird from the oven.
It also helps if you're tackling the whole process on Tuesday afternoon and minus a house full of starving guest with high expectations!
And of coarse a mommy feeding a family of 7 never turns down free meat!
I told my man not to bring me one that didn't fit in my oven, he listened but he stretched me to my limit, she's a 26ish pound-er!
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Most importantly as I thought about my own reasons to be thankful, there are many, I was reminded of a song we sang a lot when I was a teenager.
Give thanks with a Grateful Heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One,
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son.
That first line, that's where I got stuck.
It always seemed like a repetition to me. Songs are like that, especially choruses. Say the same thing a couple times in different ways. Make it 'flow-y.' Make it rhyme. Make it easy to remember.
But it suddenly hit me one day. Giving thanks is NOT the same as having a Grateful Heart.
I say I'm thankful for my house, but I sure wish it had a bigger kitchen and an attached garage.
I say I'm thankful for my children, but I get frustrated when the act like children.
I say I'm thankful for food but I think that the fridge and freezer full are not enough, I must go get that one thing I'm out of.
The list could go on. I just had to wonder if my words and my heart are connected on this thankful stuff.
We live in a world that doesn't promote much thankfulness, much less the grateful heart.
We've come to the place where we miss our family dinners to line up to be the first one in the stores for a good deal. (That's another post, another soap box....but it sure makes some pretty loud statements about the contentment and thankfulness, or lack thereof, that we're surrounded with.)
I too, could easily get caught up in the "I wishes" and the "It would be nice..." thing, but what I want, what I really want is that Grateful Heart.
There are some out there if you look for them.
As I watched a dear couple facing serious health issues hold each other tight and sing
"I Have Someone to Thank" I saw a grateful heart.
When a sweet little voice says "Sanks Mom" for a simple snack or a glass of water, I see a grateful heart.
When I receive a hand written note of thanks for doing something simple for a friend, I see a grateful heart
When I choose to focus on what I have and the many blessing I've been given instead of the endless list of wishes, I take another baby step toward a grateful heart.
I do however, think it this will be a longer process than figuring out what to do with all those turkey leftovers.
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