Happy Thanksgiving!
On the heels of my second Thanksgiving in South Africa, I’m
thinking about what’s happening in American homes right now. The relief provided
by the tryptophan-induced naps is probably wearing off, and the last laughs of
the night are being shared with a healthy dose of football banter and just one more slice of pie. Alarms are being set for Black Friday
shopping escapades, and, if you’re anything like my family, you’ve made a map,
a list and have organized the ads.
At my house, my alarm just went off to have a little time
with you, Jesus and Pike’s Place coffee before the most perfect little boy
wakes up and we get ready for school.
I have to confess that I’m thrilled to not be Black Friday shopping, but
even more thrilled to be right where I am on this couch with Lifa sleeping
soundly and the birds singing the sun up. I’m overwhelmed with thankfulness
this morning.
Yesterday, as we left a feeding program to go eat Thanksgiving
dinner together, Lifa said, “Thank you
Jesus for eating. Thank you Jesus for play, play, play. Thank you Jesus for
kids.”
A perfect Thanksgiving prayer.
We have more than those calories that don’t count on
holidays and a day to come together to be thankful for. But if all our hope is in a roasted bird (or
pig in my case!), or even on family all being around a table together, we’re going to get hungry again.
All of those good things are good. And I never want to stop
saying thank you for them. But I never want to think it’s the pumpkin pie that
fills me up. It’s
the everyday and the eternal part of Thanksgiving that I want to feast on.
Every good
thing on earth is just a taste of the Kingdom of God – a reminder of
how good He is that comes in our favorite flavors, memories and colors (because
He knows all of our favorites us and He knows we need to be reminded). Even the
very best baby kisses and family moments are an image of the affection we were
made for, the Family we belong to and the hope worth holding onto.
I want to learn from Lifa’s Thanksgiving prayers.
He doesn’t know what Thanksgiving is. He’s never cut out
construction paper replicas of the Niña, the Pinta or the Santa Maria. And he’s pretty sure Texas happens through a
computer screen. But he knows it all starts with “Thank you Jesus…”
Last weekend, we sat on a swing – I did all the legwork and
he just leaned back into me and giggled. It was beautiful. He was in the
perfect posture for thank you’s. And I just listened and delighted –and finally
couldn’t help but join in – as he started his thank you’s.
“Thank you Jesus for swings.”
“Thank you Jesus for swings high in the sky.”
“Thank you Jesus for slides.”
“Thank you Jesus for playgrounds.”
“Thank you Jesus for friends.”
“Thank you Jesus for Blessing and Tshepiso.”
“Thank you Jesus for GoGo Rosa.”
“Thank you Jesus for Texas.”
“Thank you Jesus for Mama Lifa.”
“Thank you Jesus for Baba Lifa.”
“Thank you Jesus for you love me.”
“Jesus I love you soooo much.”
The perfect prayers from the perfect place to pray.
Sitting in the lap of
Love you couldn’t stop if you tried.
Fully aware you don’t
have the strength or the control to make that swing go, or how fast, or how
high it will take you.
Just leaning back and
enjoying the ride, knowing Love won’t let you fall.
Thanksgiving and
delight pouring out of you just because you’re in the right posture to receive
it.
Thank you Jesus for showing me more of who you are
through Lifa.
Thank you Jesus for doing the legwork and letting me
enjoy the ride.
Thank you Jesus for a million ways a day to encounter
You, know You, and be thankful for You.
Jesus, let me and every person who reads this today be
stuffed full of Thanksgiving.
“Thank you
Jesus for you love me.”
i cannot get over his ENGLISH. that's amazing Kacy!
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