I have admitted it many time… I love Thanksgiving.  It is not that turkey is even close to my favorite food.  But I do love the smell!  I love all the smells of the traditional meal.  And in my 60 short years of life, I have had the opportunity to experience Thanksgiving in a number of ways.  Growing up, my mom cooked and we had several invited guests for dinner.  Some family.  Some neighbors. Some friends.

My first years in ministry, Henderson Church and South East Erie Ministries served a huge meal as a gift to the community.  I remember being totally exhausted but very fulfilled.  Over the years I have had as many as 30 people around my table as I cooked like crazy. I have cooked an entire turkey dinner for 2.   I have spent quiet Thanksgiving with great friends.  I spent one memorable Thanksgiving in San Francisco and another in Florida.  I have been to several great restaurants, from the Lamont to Bob Evans.     The past several years in Wexford, I have helped with about 300 meals that are graciously delivered to those in need of a meal or alone or a combination of emptiness for the holiday.  I have mostly been on the cooking side.   Last year I got to deliver a few meals too.  It is the delivery that puts a face to the day.  Joy and thankfulness!  The people I took meals too were so grateful and excited about their bags of good food.    (The other moments of joy happen for me as I see our volunteers line up to help out and deliver.  I love it when they almost run back into the church and ask for another name to share the goodness of the day.)

Thanksgiving is special!  I experience the best of people on turkey day.  Even though most of the fall/turkey decorations have long been replaced by the red and green of the next season, there is still a turkey on my front door and pumpkins on my steps.   I still need Thanksgiving!  And even though Advent is just moments away, I am planning on enjoying my Thanksgiving Day to the fullest.  I will miss the parade because I am working.  I will fall asleep during the football games in the afternoon because I will be tired.  I will make some kind of plans to do something like putting away fall decorations or begin to get out Christmas.  I probably will not do that.  But I will eat a little left over turkey, smile as I remember a great day and go to bed very content with another wonderful Thanksgiving day in my books.   And my heart will be over flowing once again!

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!