Thanksgiving in June

When you work in retail, you find that it doesn't take a holiday to come up with a reason for a big sale. It seems that every week, there's a new advertising push that urges you to celebrate an event, and that your celebration would not be complete without doing some shopping. One of the odder events I've seen is "Christmas in July". I guess there are people out there that really do plan that far in advance and start their shopping/crafting/planning that early, but I have a hard time thinking about Christmas when the sun is shining, the air conditioner is running, and cooking dinner consists of firing up the BBQ.



Lately my thoughts have turned to a different holiday - Thanksgiving. We always say that we should be thankful every day, but I rarely think about it unless the smell of turkey is in the air. However, the events of the last few weeks have put me in a very thankful mood. If the stores can celebrate Christmas in July, then I can celebrate Thanksgiving in June.

• My wife and I have three sets of friends who are going through very difficult problems in their marriage, with one definitely headed for divorce.


• We have quite a few friends who have lost their jobs or had them cut back drastically.


• Another family we know is reeling from the suicide of a brother and uncle to the kids.


• A friend of my wife has been caring for her terminally ill husband for a number of months, and has now just found out that she has been diagnosed with leukemia.


• Today, I watched as two co-workers performed CPR on a fellow employee, not knowing whether he would survive.

In each of these cases, it's easy to pull out the well-worn phrase "there but for the grace of God go I". And trust me - I know that my life can change in a heartbeat. I know that life can be a like a canoe trip; right now, we're in a calmly flowing river admiring the scenery, but at any moment the class four rapids may come. However, at this juncture of my life, I just can't shake the feeling of thankfulness.

• My wife is an amazing woman who I love very much, and even more amazing - she loves me too! While our marriage is not perfect, we can paddle through the rapids together as a team, and come out on the other side with the love still intact. That is a true blessing from God.


• My work has continued to do well - even in a tough economy, people have to eat.


• My family is all in reasonably good health.


• I am alive today, and can enjoy the beautiful weather, conversation with my wife, and playing with the kids.

Again, I know that I have done nothing to deserve my good fortune, just as those who are dealing with difficult circumstances have not always been the cause of their struggles. I do know that whatever blessings I am enjoying today, it is because of God's grace and provision, and for that, I am very thankful.



Now I just need to see if we have any leftover turkey in the freezer.

Happy Father's Day

Another Father's Day has come and gone. Like any other Sunday where Fred Meyer doesn't claim me, I spend the morning at church. Most of these Sundays find me joining with the music team on stage, playing trumpet or percussion as a part of leading the congregation in worship through music. As I always say, it's a great priviledge to take a gift that God has given that I love to do and turn it back to him! This Sunday, my son Joe joined us on stage with his guitar. I think it's only the second time we've been on the team together, and the first time in a long time. He has been playing for a few years, and was able to join in with no problem.

When I'm playing, I'm usually focused on the music - watching the leader, glancing at the music, and trying to sing along and keep the percussion going at the same time. As we played and worshipped that morning, I found myself stealing an occasional glance over at Joe. He was doing the same as I was, focused on doing his best for the Lord.

Later on during the sermon, the topic of fathers and Father's Day came up, and my mind drifted back to the music. I thought of how proud I was of Joe; for the skills he was using in praising God, and the joy of playing together as a team. At that point, it struck me: Are there times when God looks over at me, and is proud of his child? Times when he looks down and says, "That's my boy!"?

On a day when we honor fathers, I left church with an even stronger desire to please my heavenly Father. I know that when it comes to being a good kid, I fail in many ways, and that it's only through the sacrifice of his Son that we have a relationship with him. I think the best fathers' day present I can give Him is to give him the opportunity to glance my way and say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!". Or, to put it in simpler terms, "That's my boy!"