I give thanks for turkey. Yes, for turkey. I really like turkey. I like it on Thanskgiving Day. I like turkey and cheese sandwiches with mustard and mayo. I like turkey leftovers. Penny makes some great turkey dishes. Turkey is really a wonderful bird to cook and eat. Yes, there are other good birds - chicken, pheasant, goose, duck, quail and the like. I like them as well.
But at this time of the year, there is nothing like a good turkey. The smell of it cooking. The beauty of a nicely cooked turkey. The taste, the texture, oh my! Isn't it wonderful? You might not agree with me. But I give thanks for turkey.
I give thanks for many things. I give thanks for the opportunity to worship the Lord. I give thanks that I can go into the house of God, lift up my voice in praise, song and prayer, and receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Lord's Supper. I rejoice that I can join together with other believers in Jesus Christ. I give thanks that I can share the love of Christ with other people. I thank the Lord that I live in a country where worship is allowed. I thank and praise God for the opportunity that I have to gather with family and celebrate the wonder of the season.
I thank the Lord for friends. I have had many friends throughout the years. I think back to being at the Lutheran School Association in Decatur, IL and having a good friend named Garland Laskowski. We went to movies together. I don't know what happened to Garland as we went to different high schools and drifted apart. But as a kid, he was a good friend. Then I remember Gary Younger, Gary Matthews, Tom Hills, Bobby , John, and a whole host of other guys that I had as friends in high school. Yes, we moved on with our lives and went different directions. But growing up, it was a lot of fun. There were neighbor kids like Ron Tapscott, Gary and Larry, Ralph and Karl. Lots of good times, lots of fun. The Lord blessed me as I was growing up to have friends to hang out with. Thanks Lord! What a great time to grow up. We spent hours outdoors, doing all sorts of things. Fishing, golfing, playing war in the hills in Nelson Park, riding bikes, playing ball in the street (having to stop whenever a car came), trying to keep the ball from rolling down into the sewer drain (and lots were lost in that drain). Yes, I can think back and give thanks for growing up.
I had a good church to grow up in. Trinity Lutheran in Decatur, IL was just down the road from us. We would walk to Sunday School and church, then when we were older, drove. Mom made sure we were there week after week. I enjoyed going to SS, cause I was able to see my friends, the ones I went to school at LSA with, and learned about Jesus at the same time. I didn't realize how important that was untill I was older. But those years in SS were ones that really helped me to know who Jesus was and what He continues to do for me. I see that it is important for parents to get their kids to SS. So many don't. Why? Because they are lazy, they have other things that they prefer to do, or they just don't want to get going on Sunday morning, or whatever other reason. If you don't teach kids when they are young, you are robbing them of more than just childhood memores. You could well be robbing them of their eternal life. They might not continue in that faith in Jesus if they don't learn about Him as a child.
I give thanks for the many teachers I have had through they years. Some have been really good. Some have not been so good. But they all did what they thought was best. I connected with some teachers and did not connect with others. That wasn't always their fault. There were times I didn't give them the opportunity to actually teach me. I think about Mr. Seidel in high school who helped me to grow to love photography. I think about Frau Weiss in high school who taught me German. I think about Mr. Ponivas, Miss Reeves, and others at LSA who helped me learn and grow. It amazes me to think of how many teachers helped me through the years. Thank You Lord for each one of these special people.
Giving thanks. So much to give thanks for in my life. I rejoice at these blessings and so much more. More thoughts, more thanksgiving, more times to look to the Lord in my life. I challenge you to reflect on the many blessings you have been given in life and give thanks to the Lord for them.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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