Disappointments and Blessings for a Covid Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. I love the colors, the traditional foods, the family, the laughter and conversations, and the memories. Thanksgiving to me is warm fireplaces, roasted turkeys, mashed potatoes, angel biscuits, and family.

This Thanksgiving is going to be different though. I love hosting, but now that things have shut down in our state again, we are having to celebrate this Thanksgiving with no in-laws, no cousins, and no friends.

I'm a bit sad that my hopes for a fun family filled Thanksgiving are not being met this year.

I'm also a bit sad and angry that my hopes for a fun family filled Christmas may not be happening either.

I can imagine this holiday season has brought its own fair share of heartache and disappointment for all of us.

I also realize how painful this season will be for some of us because we have family and friends either at home recovering or in the hospital sick with Covid. Some of us have lost a family or friend this year from this horrible sickness, making this Thanksgiving especially difficult.

Whether you love Thanksgiving or you are finding it difficult this year, Thanksgiving this year will be different for all of us.

However you choose to spend the day, I hope and pray that you stay safe and healthy and that the Lord grant you peace and grace.

The Tuesday Practice this week encourages you to take a moment this week to reflect upon both the difficulties and blessings this year has brought. Reflecting on both helps us to realize and name our pain, while also taking the time to reflect upon God's goodness in our life.

This year, Thanksgiving dinner may be a good time for all of us to share with those closest around the table what has been most difficult for us this year and what has been the greatest blessing.

Whatever place you are at this week, I want to leave you with a blessing from Numbers 6:24-26:

"May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace."

Amen.