Sharon Kinsey's November Reflections

I was talking to a friend the other day about Thanksgiving. She was apprehensive because her family often ends up arguing at the dinner table and she was already stressed about it. I have always loved Thanksgiving…autumn is my favorite season. When I was a child, we celebrated at my grandmother’s house. I remember the heavenly smells of sage and cinnamon, a huge turkey, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes with buckets of gravy, and of course, pumpkin pie. Grandma always made mincemeat pie, too, which I never liked. We sang “We Gather Together” and “Come Ye Thankful People, Come.” Then someone said grace and the feast began.

When Jack and I first married, we celebrated like many folks do — early dinner at his parents’ house and then we drove back to Bethlehem to have dinner at my parents’ house. Two giant meals in one day was daunting. After we had our boys, dinner was at our house. I fretted over every detail, set tables using the “good” dishes and silverware, pulled out treasured family recipes, and deep-cleaned the whole house. It was exhausting but somehow, magically, we got it all together. The only major glitch I recall, was the year that I turned my back to get something out of the refrigerator, and our 22 lb. cat, Brick, jumped onto the buffet table and plopped himself down on the large, white china turkey platter (empty at the time, thank goodness). After some commotion and squeals of dismay, we relocated Brick to the couch and all was well.

For a few years, we all went out for dinner. It was relaxing , delicious, and the boys loved the array of fancy desserts. The only downside was that we didn’t have any leftovers the next day…no turkey sandwiches or turkey soup. When we moved to Valpo, we were far away from family, so we invited other families who were also new to the community to join us. Everyone brought their traditional side dishes and having friends to celebrate with felt like a big hug.

For some of us, holiday dinners can be a source of contention. Instead of feeling gratitude and joy, discussions about religion, politics, sports, and pop culture can snuff out any holiday spirit. Some professionals suggest starting off the season by laying some ground rules. One pastor wrote that it might be worthwhile to live at peace with our family like Paul encouraged the church in Romans 12:18. Even though our family members have opinions on just about every topic that are at opposite ends of the spectrum, we share the view that for this one day, we will agree to disagree. We will count our blessings, remember with love the family members who are no longer with us, we will look forward to Christmas with anticipation and excitement, we will gather around the table, hold hands, and listen as one of the grandchildren says grace. This scripture seems just about perfect for Thanksgiving: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7). Wishing you all abundant blessings, good food, peaceful conversation, and the deep understanding that our Lord is joining you all at your table. You are his beloved children.

In Christ’s love,

Sharon