Mike Gilland
For several weeks now, I have been anticipating the upcoming holiday season, and…here we are! Thanksgiving is always the kickoff of my favorite time of each and every year, and I am believing that this year’s Thanksgiving celebration will be a very meaningful one for so many.
As I began to prepare my heart for the crowd of family members that will be gathering in our home, I found myself flooded with a number of memories of Thanksgiving celebrations past.
Among those fleeting images in my mind’s eye were faces. Some were faces that I don’t get to see as often as I would like, such as my son and his dear family who live in Texas.
Other faces…I can’t see at all anymore, for they’ve gone to be with the Lord in the last couple of years. But, while they are absent in our presence around the table, they will always be remembered in our hearts.
Part of what makes our family’s Thanksgiving festivities so meaningful is a tradition that we established years ago. After eating our dinner, and before we get up from the table, we take the time to go around the table and hear from every member one by one, regardless of their age, as they tell us all the things for which they are most thankful.
I am emotional right now, even thinking about a number of memorable conversations that we’ve heard in those times. Several years back, my oldest grandson expressed thanks to God for the friends he had established at his new school he was attending, and how much their friendship meant to him. He was truly encouraged, and we got to share in his joy and excitement.
Two years ago, an entirely different thing happened around the table. My oldest daughter’s in-laws were with us as they always were. Her father-in-law had been fighting some really serious health issues. When it came time for him to share, his always effervescent smile was suddenly accompanied by big crocodile tears in his eyes, as he shared what each and every person at our table meant to him.
It was a moment I’ll never forget, and it was timely, too. He passed away just four weeks later, on Christmas Eve morning. We knew at the time that Andy’s sharing was extra meaningful that Thanksgiving Day—we just had no idea HOW special it was.
So this year, whether you are like me and cry easily—even at Publix commercials—or maybe, you’re not the emotional type at all, one thing that we all can do that will add to Thanksgiving Day: Take the time to express your love and appreciation for those in your family.
Be specific and intentional, look them in the eyes, and speak from your heart as you express your love and thankfulness for their life and part in your heart.
Happy Thanksgiving!