Thankful for Family

In Day 2 of my self-imposed thankfulness challenge I am thankful for family.  I am thankful for the small feet, the large feet, the help, the messes, the fun, the work, the questions, and all the other things that come with family.  Not everyone has the good fortune to have family in their lives.  If you do, be thankful, no matter how messy the relationships can sometimes be.

Thanksgiving is also a time when the impact of missing family members hits home a little harder than it might at other times.  It is because when the family gathers, those who are no longer there stand out by their absence.  Those are the times when we need to remember that our faith will bring our families back together again in a place without sorrow or, troubles.

The Thanksgiving holidays always meant hunting when I was growing up.  It meant chasing the elusive quail through the Sandhills, or out on the Draw.  It meant the occasional wild turkey dinner because Grandpa used to go deer hunting on the weekend before Thanksgiving and if he could bag one, Grandma would cook it for Thanksgiving Dinner.  She always had a "store-bought" one in reserve just in case.

Family together means games and noise and sometimes flared tempers.  There might be a few tears here and there too.  The gathering together exposes how we've grown apart and changed.  It is important though, to renew our bonds and allow our hearts to be filled with the presence of those most like us genetically.  It is in our DNA that we feel a connection to family that transcends our differences.

I pray that this Thanksgiving you are able to spend time with family.  If it isn't family of the genetic sort, I hope it is those with whom you feel a bond, a closeness, a connection that fills that part of you that needs family in your life.

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." -- Psalm 127:3-5