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The 2020 Seamon Thanksgiving was ambushed.
My children and their significant others, the mature grands, and the baby-grands had made plans to celebrate at our home. This momma’s heart was counting the days until her family burst through the back door excited for turkey and family tradition.
Until . . . our Celebration event was in question.
Governor Cooper made an executive order limiting gatherings of ten people inside just days before Thanksgiving. We re-planned. We decided to move our event outside, only to have rain in our forecast. A friend offered her canopy tent and saved my Thanksgiving celebration! However, as the date approached we began to question the safety of our large gathering and the fun of Thanksgiving Day in the rain.
Our heater went out for days, with a four hundred dollar price tag.
A bathroom project promised by Lowe’s to be completed ran into one too many issues, which developed into our main bathroom having no flooring or commode for the family visits. BTW – In case you don’t know, our old farmhouse only has one and a half bathrooms even when all are in working order. 🙂
Half of our family was unable to come to Thanksgiving because of Covid safety concerns. I understand, but this momma cooked a 21-pound turkey.
The dentist office re-scheduled my son’s surgery (Four Impacted Wisdom teeth to be removed) to take place two days before Thanksgiving. Poor guy could only eat pureed food.
So here we are. Covid. No heat. Down a working bathroom. Two children home. Two children not home. And one of the two home can only eat broth and pureed food.
Yes, Happy 2020 Thanksgiving friends! 🙂
Yet, as I type these words, there is laughter from the kitchen table. My man-children and their girlfriends are playing cards with giggling and stories being told. The boys walk down memory lane as girlfriends listen. Relationships have grown. Family bonds have been built. Girlfriends have become more like family.
And my heart is happy. Though this has been a perfectly horrible Thanksgiving, it has perfect blessings. Friends, I can choose for my perspective to settle on the negative, but then my peace will never settle. Or I can choose for my perspective to settle on the positive, and peace will settle in my mind and heart.
So, I am focusing on the positives and my peace has settled. For instance, though all my family members are not together, I am thankful my family desires to be together. Though my family is not under the same roof, my family is safe and covid free. I am thankful we can adjust, such as some on the porch and others inside.
I am thankful for FaceTime as my grands and I met virtually to make our desserts.
I am thankful for Zoom as members ate desserts and expressed what they are grateful for in 2020.
Yes, today my son needs his food pureed, but I am thankful he will heal. And we now know that pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream makes a delicious milkshake.
What am I learning this Thanksgiving?
I am not in control. Yes, I plan and prepare, but I do not control my or anyone’s future. This is the role of our heavenly Father, not me, and not you. Friend, maybe we should relax and let Him take care of our future – here on earth and in heaven. He’s got this and He has our best interest in mind. I Corinthians 2:8-9 (ESV) reads, “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Second, I have to trust God in the bad times like I do in the good. Yes, my world is ever changing, but this is not our forever home. My heavenly Father is preparing a perfect place, and He invites you, and me to live forever with Him. “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2 (ESV)
Third, I believe that God is God, and He is good at being God, so I choose to trust Him. He loves me even more than I love myself. He loves my children more than I do. When I do not understand His hand, I choose to trust His heart.
Ladies, plan your days. Make wise choices, but do not waste your time, energy, and emotion trying to control the future.
Just change your perspective and roll with it.