Wednesday, November 23

Giving thanks

We had planned to have the Thanksgiving of our choice, the celebration of our desires, looking something like this:




The turkey would be cooked beautifully by Preston, Alton Brown's greatest fan:

And who better to head up the celebration? Preston has had a lot to be thankful for this year--graduating from high school, getting in to the college of his choice, being initiated by the fraternity he hoped to join, making lots of new friends at UNC.

Our Thanksgiving plans were interrupted, though; Preston exchanged his graduation cap and gown for a hospital gown.

And our Thanksgiving didn't turn out as we expected. Instead of turkey and dressing at home, we'll be lucky to have Jell-O at the hospital.

But our list of things for which to be thankful is not shorter--no, it has grown longer. Along with thanking God for all the other blessings he has heaped upon us this year, we can add the events of this week--events which have been scary and worrisome, but over which God has presided. God has provided in a new way, just as he said he would.

This I recall to mind,
therefore I have hope.
Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"

Lamentations 3:21-24

On this Thanksgiving Day, we are reminded that God is good; that His steadfast love endures forever. As Preston heals from his surgery, we are grateful beyond telling for God's love and care for us. So with all of you, we sing:

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who, from our mothers' arms, hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest heaven;
The one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

--Martin Rinckhart
Happy Thanksgiving!

22 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry to hear that your holiday and life has been interrupted this way. At least you can take comfort in knowing that Preston is being taken care of and will heal. You can always do a Thanksgiving dinner once he's home from the hospital! Old traditions can be broken when necessary. My husband has to work on Christmas day (firefighter) so we plan on celebrating our Christmas on the day before. Gotta do what ya gotta do. Glad you are having a postitive attitude about it all. Hope Preston has a speedy recovery!

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  2. amen Rachella! Wonderful post about being content and choosing to be thankful in any situation! We pray for your sweet boy!

    Love,
    Traci @ Ordinary Inspirations

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  3. Great is His faithfulness! So glad your son is healing and that the Lord has held you all in His grip throughout this trying week. Many blessings to you and your family. Happy Thanksgiving!

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  4. praying for a speedy recovery....this will make the next holiday even more special for your family!!

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  5. My continued prayers for a speeding recovery. When Preston's home have a nice belated thanksgiving feast!

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  6. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Richella. Praying for you.

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  7. Oh, Richella! I just read about Preston! Praying he recovers quickly. I know you've had your fill of hospitals this year!

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  8. Continuing to pray for Preston and your family.

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  9. God is good, all the time! Grateful he is healiing well.

    Praying you get some rest!

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  10. So sorry to hear about your son. I'm keeping him in my prayers. Please listen to this video, I'm sure you'll find it useful in these times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdbLGUlbhWg

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  11. So sorry Preston ended up having to have surgery. Praying for a speedy recovery.

    Happy, happy Thanksgiving, Richella!

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  12. Prayers for your son! I came across your blog this morning. Every day is Thanksgiving when the people you love are with you. Hopefully, you can celebrate another day. I am now a follower.

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  13. I hope your son recovers quickly from this setback. Your attitude is an inspiration. This was my first visit to your blog, but I'll definitely be coming back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  14. I will send out many prayers of thankfulness for Preston's recovery as well as for you and yours.

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  15. I'm praying and believing for a quick recovery for Preston! (((Hugs)))

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  16. Continuing to pray for Preston, you, Jack, and Lee and Will. I know you have a thankful heart, Richella - thank YOU for sharing all your wisdom and, in this post, the lyrics to "Now thank we all our God." I know them by heart but to see them in print reminded me to be thankful.

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  17. If I saw this on Facebook, I would press the like button. A good Thanksgiving, indeed.
    The hospital stay is the BEST scenario.
    Giving Thanks today for Preston, Dr.'s who know their stuff...& asking for a speedy recovery.

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  18. I have sure been thinking of Preston this week and will continue to pray for his recovery. I love this beautiful, beautiful post. It brought tears to my eyes. Sometimes life interrupted, hard though it is, makes us profoundly more grateful for life's most precious gifts...life itself being chief among them. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

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  19. So thankful that Preston is going to be okay! We have been praying for him. Carla

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  20. Love this post! So glad to hear his surgery went well.

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  21. It's so easy to be thankful when everything is going well, but your sacrifice of praise and thanks in the midst of pain is true worship! Praying for you all!

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