Each year after Christmas, after all the presents have been torn opened and the wrapping paper has been shoved in to the tiny trash can, after the cookies have been eaten and the coffee has been consumed, someone in my family inevitably says,

“Well, Christmas is over.”

Usually this statement makes me feel sad. The joy and anticipation of my favorite day has all come to fruition and then to a sudden halt. But this year was different. Even after the dreaded, “Christmas is over,” had been spoken, I found myself excited still. Still anticipating.

Now, on New Year’s Day, I understand what I had been feeling more clearly: hope.

I would venture to guess that most of the world is feeling this. A new year comes with real feelings that fit inside all of the clichés. A fresh start. A clean slate. A breath of fresh air. It felt good to think about being united with others around this feeling of newness.

I thought back to a character that kept showing up this Christmas. When Mary and Joseph went to the temple in Jerusalem after Jesus was born, they met a man named Simeon. He lived in Jerusalem and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was always in the presence of God, watching and waiting. This is the exact language that Luke uses when he describes Simeon. He was, “waiting for the consolation of Israel.”

The word for waiting in this case is prosdechomai. It means “to expect.” Simeon was waiting with expectation that God would send the Messiah.

The entrance of that young couple and their baby must have felt like all the world was singing to Simeon. In walked all that he had waited for. Simeon was overwhelmed. He “took [Jesus] in his arms and praised God..”

The word for, “took,” here is not the typical word used in ancient Greek to describe holding something. Instead, Luke uses dechomai, meaning, “to receive.”  In other words, Simeon held the answered prayer in his arms. He got to see what he had been waiting for.

Now, on New Year’s Day, I feel it, the hope that Simeon felt. The long year has taken a toll on our hearts. I walk into 2021 with scars and fears, nervous that things won’t get better. But I hope boldly. I wait with expectation that God will redeem.

2021 might not be the year that we receive all of God’s promises to us. But like Simeon, we believe that God is faithful, and so we wait with expectation.

Here’s to bold hope. Cheers.

Long ago, Elohim knew that the angels would go tell the shepherds about Jesus. Elohim also knew that I would be sitting here, thousands of years later, filled with wonder and trying desperately to imagine what it must have been like to be there. 

What did it look like when, “the glory of the Lord shone around them?” What did the voices of the angels sound like? What did they expect the angels to say? They must have been shocked when the angels went away and the night looked exactly as it had before, but it was different—all of a sudden the existence of a King changed it all. 

Did they run as fast as they could? Did they take their sheep? Were their hearts leaping out of their chests? Did they feel any confusion?

Did they know the Scriptures and the prophecies? Was it anything like they thought it would be? What about when they went home? They were the only ones that saw it with their own eyes. Did they even have the words to describe the majesty of the King in a manger? 

Did they hear about Herod’s decree of slaughter and fear for the boy’s life? Did they wonder and wait only to hear about the horrible crucifixion of this beautify boy? Did they die before they ever got a chance? Did they hear of the rest of the story—where He was alive again? Were they full of wonder once again, running around and proclaiming to everyone that they saw, just as they did on that first night:

“The King! He is here! He has life and breath, and He lives among us! Emmanuel is here.” 

….

Luke 2:8-20 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁸ In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men ^[cwith whom He is pleased.”

¹⁵ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the ^[dmanger. ¹⁷ When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

We’ve been traveling all day. Joseph is doing everything he can to get us there quickly but not move too fast. My back is aching and I feel miserable. I shouldn’t complain though. I mean who am I to complain?

Suddenly, I’m taken back to that day in the cave. I had gone to put away the linens as mother had instructed me, and then all of a sudden, I couldn’t see. There was light everywhere. My stomach felt funny, like I was going to throw up for a second. Finally, I could make out the image of a man…. or… a bird?… or… what was that? He looked like a warrior prepared for a majestic battle. Everything in me flipped upside down. I felt paralyzed. “Greetings, you who are highly favored!” he said. Highly favored? By whom? Why? I’m just a girl from Nazareth. No one favors me. Fear rose higher and higher until I thought it might explode out of me. I wanted to run but I couldn’t. He spoke again, but this time in a great whisper that sounded like rain: “Do not be afraid.”

Peace.

In this moment now, I’m riding a donkey into a town I’ve never been, with a man I barely know, AND I’m pregnant. But as I think of the warrior’s call to abandon my fear, my soul is flooded with tranquility and stillness. I feel the boy moving in my stomach, and I begin to dream.

Ever since I was little, my parents have read me the scriptures and told me of a savoir that would make everything peaceful. Here He is. Inside of me. I feel the promised peace and tears spring to my eyes. What will His face look like? What color will His eyes be? Will he have my nose? Will he look anything like me?

“We are only about a mile away.”

Joseph’s deep voice penetrates my thoughts. I begin studying him. When I told him about the warrior visiting me, he was completely silent. I saw his jaw begin to protrude as he held back all of the pain I could see in his eyes. I knew he didn’t believe me. I had just broken his heart, and it wasn’t even my fault. This favor that the warrior had said I had felt more like a punishment than a blessing.

When Joseph came to me later, every inch of my body wanted to run. What if he had brought a stone? He had every right to kill me. At least, he thought he did. My mind was thinking through the fastest way to escape. But then he said my name. There was no anger in his voice. No, that was different. That was… love, understanding, joy. My mind stopped pining for escape and I found his eyes locked to mine. “Do not be afraid,” he said.

As I look at him now I see that same love, but also a newfound determination. “Yes, Lord,” I whispered in my heart. “He will be the perfect man to raise the Messiah.” I feel so overwhelmed at God’s provision for us, for his Messiah.

We arrive in Bethlehem and Joseph goes to check for a room. When he comes back he looks discouraged. “Joseph, what’s the matter?” I ask.

He hesitates.

“There are no rooms left. All they have is the stable out back.”

Yeshua kicks.

“We can take whatever we need to,” I try to encourage him.

“I will find us a room, we may just have to walk a litt-”

My water breaks.

“Joseph, we should take the stable.”

“No, I want to find a better-”

“Joseph. Take. The stable.”

Once he realizes what is happening he runs back into the inn and the innkeeper leads us around the back of the building. The two of them help me off of the donkey and into a heap of hay in the corner.

For the next few hours all I see is Joseph’s face. Through the sweat and tears, I lock in on his eyes of reassurance. I push for hours and hours and then finally I hear it. My Messiah, My Savior: crying. We are the first people in all the world to hear the sound of His voice. I want to close my eyes in worshipful surrender, and then I remember that I get to hold Him. Joseph places Him in my arms, and I see His face. My King, the King of the universe. You have my nose.

Tears flow from the flood of emotions rushing through me. I hold His tiny hands and imagine all the people they will save. He came from me… but I exist because of Him. My sweet Yeshua. You are mine, and I am Yours.

The other day I was walking back to my dorm. It was a beautifully sunny day, and I was thinking about what I had just learned in class and what all I needed to do that night. It was a perfectly normal moment. Then I heard my name. I knew who it was, because I didn’t hear it with my ears. It came from inside me, but it was very clear and distinct. I recognized the familiar voice of my precious King.

This has happened to me before. There are times when I think God just needs to get my attention, and nothing gets my attention better than my name. (okay, maybe a cup of coffee with my name on it… but same difference.) The first time this happened to me, I had been directed by my parents and mentors to 1 Samuel 3, where God speaks Samuel’s name. Samuel is encouraged to respond with, “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” So ever since I read that passage, this has become my response. Walking into my dorm I spoke quietly (much to the confusion of the girl next me): “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” And He did.

Very promptly I heard, “You are good.”

“No no,” I replied. “That is what I say to you, not the other way around. God, YOU are the good one. I can list seven worship songs off the top of my head that say so (over and over and over again).”

But He said it again, “You are good.”

I was not ready to believe it, so I went to my room and got on my knees to see what else God had to say. As I was praying, I began to hear Him gently speak these words over me:

Workmanship

Masterpiece

Creation

Slowly and steadily He directed my thoughts towards Genesis 1. I then realized that this is exactly what God said about His creation. And then it hit me: I am His creation. I am good. I am good!!! What a simple but beautiful thought!! I love that God interrupted my normal day to remind me of what I am to Him.

There is no deep, theological, mind-blowing truth in this post. The truth is simply this: You are good. I beg you to believe it.

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.”

It was a mundane moment for Moses. He was just doing his job; he was leading his sheep. But the mundane was soon interrupted by the miraculous.

 

“There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight–why the bush does not burn up.””

 Moses was not taken aback by fear. Instead, he rushed forward in ferocious curiosity. He chased the abnormal.

 

“When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.””

 The shepherd heard the Shepherd’s voice, and he offered all he had: “Here I am.”

 

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

Was it the ground that was inherently holy? Did the rocks and the sand and the grass and the soil burst forth with power and glory? No; this came from the presence of something far greater, the presence of a King.

 

“Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”

Moses was undone. When he realized that he had entered a place full of God’s presence, he not only obeyed by removing his sandals, but he hid his face. He understood that he was not worthy.

 

Pause. Let us be reminded about our present situation:

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

~2 Corinthians 5:21

We are not worthy, but we have been MADE worthy through the power of the same King that showed up in a burning bush on the mountain with Moses. The presence that rested on that mountain now lives in us. It burns like a fire in our hearts and it seeps out into our lives. Because of His presence, we walk on holy ground.

But as for Moses, this reality requires reverence. Every place that our foot lands becomes momentary holy ground, and it creates for us a responsibility to live in light of that.

 

Back to Exodus. God had something to say.

 

“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey–the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.””

*cue record scratch*

God just asked one man to save an entire nation.

When we stand on holy ground, we are sent on holy missions.

What if we began living our lives like we walked on holy ground? What if we realized that the PRESENCE OF GOD is stored up in our bodies, surging and desiring to rush forth in all we say and do, in how we dress, and in how we treat others.

This changes everything.

Join me as I begin choosing to live in reverence of the presence in me, and start recognizing how to walk in light of that.

 

 

*all quotes unless otherwise stated are from Exodus 3:1-9*

Here I am, armed with coffee and keyboard.

My heart has been working and changing and molding and thinking and meditating on God’s freedom and how His presence brings blessing in my life. It’s a truth that I feel I often tell people about without fully understanding. But in order to fulfill my hearts dream of inspiring people to a life of uninhibited freedom in Christ, I must first understand it for myself.

I don’t remember a time without God. When I was six years old, He whispered, “Follow Me,” and I ran to my mom with urgency (something I still do often) saying “I HAVE to become a Christian.” I don’t have very many memories before then.

This is a beautiful thing, and I know that I am extremely blessed to feel this way. But allow me a second to share my struggle.

Because I don’t quite remember what it is like without Him, it is easy to forget the blessing of being with Him. However, quite recently I have been immersed in words reminding me of this blessing.

Let’s start with Scripture. In 2 Samuel, David decides that it is time to bring the Ark of the Covenant back from its roaming amidst other peoples. David defeats the Philistines, takes the ark and brings it back to Jerusalem. He was so excited to bring it back to the Holy City, but then He was reminded of the wholeness of God’s character. When the oxen that were carrying the Ark almost took a major spill, it started wobbling and this guy Uzzah got scared that it might fall, so he reached out to steady it. God saw this as a flippant and irreverent move, and Uzzah was immediately struck down and died on the spot.

This kind of freaked David out. So, he sent the ark to live in the house of a man named Obed-Edom. Not sure who named these guys but I really feel bad for them. Obed kept the Ark of the Covenant aka GOD’S PRESENCE with him in his house. 2 Samuel 6:11 tells us that God blessed Obed and his WHOLE HOUSE during the three months that the ark was with them. That’s a pretty big blessing if you ask me.

Fast forward a hot second and David gets word of this blessing and He’s like, “okay okay maybe I can bring it here.” Yeah.. we see you, David. When David brings the Ark of the Covenant to his house, he begins to understand what a blessing it is to have it there. This excitement in him begins overflowing and emanating from him. 2 Samuel 6:18 tells us that David turns around and starts to bless the people. (You get blessed, and you get blessed, and you get blessed!!)

Not to mention that later God promises that David AND his offspring will be blessed FOREVER because God’s presence will never leave them like it did with Saul. (2 Samuel 7:29).

I think I see a pattern here. God’s presence= blessing. But it requires something of us: reverence.

 

    reverence

    [rev-er-uh ns, rev-ruh ns] 

noun

1. a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.
2. the outward manifestation of this feeling:

 

Reverence doesn’t always mean complete quietness and stillness. In fact, the very definition of reverence is an OUTWARD manifestation of a deep respect and awe. This can certainly include being still (Psalm 46:10), but it can also mean dancing your heart out and promising that you can get crazier because you’re just that excited (2 Samuel 6:22).

This brings us back to freedom in Christ. As one of my favorite teachers, Beth Moore, puts it,

 

“Shame and audacity cannot coexist….. But if we’re willing to give up our addiction to shame, to believe what He’s done, to receive His full redemption, and the forgiveness of all our sins, and consider ourselves outrageously loved and valiantly pursued, we, my friend, are about to run free in the wide-open liberty of audacity.”

-From Audacious by Beth Moore (pgs 52-53)

 

Let’s combine our two new terms. When God’s presence manifests itself, not only in our house, but in our HEARTS, blessing is sure to follow. However this requires of us an audacious reverence. Are you willing to become undignified, lose your shame, and receive God’s blessing in the name of reverence for our Lord?

I was refreshed and renewed to acknowledge the wonder of God’s presence in my life, and I pray for both you and me that we find it in ourselves to live in the blessing of freedom.

 

I was sitting at the edge of the water with my feet buried underneath the sand. The breeze was lightly blowing distracting me from the continually heating sun, and all I could hear was the sound of the waves pouring onto the shore. It was a beautiful moment.

Amidst all of this beauty I began reflecting on the state of my heart. I realized that I was buried under negative thoughts about myself, my appearance, and my choices. However, lately I have been reading Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf (highly recommend), and I have come to understand that my thoughts are completely controllable and replaceable. Not only that, but positive thoughts will actually bring me healing! (I know it sounds cheesy, but I promise it’s actually biologically true.)

In light of this truth, I decided to pursue joy and health and, as Romans 12:2 suggests, “renew my mind.” So I began listing truths about my wonderful Savior. I knew if I could focus on these things, everything would change. So I thought I would share them with you. Read them, and meditate on them. Renew your mind with me by living in the reality of Jesus.

 

He is my breath.

He is my laminin. (Don’t know what this is? Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSR8z_0uW5E )

He is the very substance of my hope.

He is my Healer, having the utmost control of every part of my being.

He is my perspective Maker, demonstrating true humility.

He holds the key to beautiful things.

He is the Healer of things that don’t even make sense to me.

He is true love, and true love only comes from Him.

He is the best companion.

He is power beyond its earthly definition.

He is a creative Creator: the originator of everything.

He is the inspiration for the sweetest melodies and no melody can be written without Him.

He is the author of true sacrifice.

He is the perfect focus and the most beautiful distraction.

He is my safety.

He is in the midst of everything and the escape from it all.

 

Lord,

We come to you today asking for you to renew our minds. It is difficult to make choices that are of You when our minds are constantly leaning on their own broken understanding. It is difficult to remember Your grace when all we think about is the hurt in our own hearts. Refocus our thoughts and re-center our joy. We are Yours. Help us act like it.

Amen

Today I finished high school. I know, crazy right? My friend asked me afterwards, “Did you cry on your way out to the car?” I replied with, “No I was a little too caught up in whether or not I would be exempt from my pre-cal exam and have to come back.” (I’m exempt by the way.. 🙂 )

When I got home I decided to celebrate by trying on my new graduation dress with my cap, gown, cords, and medals, the whole shebang. So I donned the navy blue polyester and the various honors that I had received, had a good laugh at myself in the mirror, and promptly took it all off.

When I did, I turned back to the mirror, and there I was: a girl in a white dress. Standing in the mirror, I began contemplating all that is in front of me: a new home, new friends, a new school, a new life. I started thinking about all I will learn about myself and God’s plans for me. The things that I place my identity in may change completely. It’s daunting, but extremely exciting. Then it struck me suddenly that this color will accompany me in lots of crucial moments.

This girl in a white dress will one day walk down the aisle to the man she has prayed for. She will take on a new name, a new identity. She will learn to live for someone else and not just herself. She will have an entirely new life ahead of her and it will be terrifying, but beautiful and rewarding.

This girl in a white dress will one day stand before a King that holds her dirty rags in His hand and tosses them away. She will take on a new name, a new identity: forever dressed in purity and holiness. She will live for King Jesus and worship Him always. She will have an entirely new life ahead of her, and it will be nothing but wonderful.

Because of my sweet Savior, I will walk forward in His plans for me and keep in step with His Spirit. I will long for Him above all, and one day I will be clean of all spots and washed of all stains. However, all of this is because of His love for me. I did nothing to deserve it. After all, I’m just a girl in a white dress.

 

They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:4b

Every time I have opened my computer to write, I have felt like I had nothing to say. Or maybe it was that I had too much to say but nothing worth saying. I finally figured out how to write again, so.. hi.

---

4 months ago my heart was too attached to things that weren’t God. They weren’t all bad things, they just weren’t the one thing I was designed to be attached to. My anxiety had increased, I developed depression, and I stopped writing music. Or playing music. I even sat in silence in my car. My identity was placed in things that ultimately let me down, and I was left feeling completely and utterly destroyed. God knew that would happen. But there I was still trying to convince Him (or me..) that it would all be okay. That I could make it all work somehow.

Beloved, let it go.

“But God.”

 

Have you ever seen the movie “We Bought a Zoo?” Fantastic movie. I recommend it. But anyway, there’s this flashback scene where the main guy meets his future wife for the first time. As his older-self narrates the scene, he talks about having 30 seconds of courage. He says all you need is 30 seconds of courage to start a chain of events that will force you to have courage from then on.

So I sat on the edge of my bed and I said, “Okay, God. This is it. This is my 30 seconds of courage to lay it all down at Your feet. Do with it what You will.”

He did.

But He didn’t just leave me there feeling broken. No, not my God. First He showed me that He loved me. In the words of my good friend Anna-Caroline “It’s like sometimes you just find a pile of poo to sit in and Jesus sits there right next to you saying.. ‘Hey. Let’s experience this together.’” It didn’t go quickly and it certainly wasn’t fun, but He never left. He wasn’t in a hurry. So we just sat there, experiencing it together.

What’s hilarious is that when I took time to sit with Him, even in the grossness of life, I learned so much about who He is. I knew He was faithful, but here I WATCHED His faithfulness. I knew He was forgiving, but here I EXPERIENCED His forgiveness. I knew of His grace, but here He told me to WAIT and there would be incredible things to come.

Per usual, God was right. In Matthew 5:6 Jesus tells me that if I thirst for righteousness, I will be filled. So I asked for a drink from His living water, and all of a sudden, I began to experience His river of grace. Actually, it’s probably better described as a wave. The kind that you see right before it hits you.

Because of Him, I am free. I walk around every day knowing that my life will throw crap at me. But I walk around every day KNOWING that my God is the rock on which I stand. And He doesn’t move, so why should I? I hold the glory of the Almighty God inside of me, so why on earth would I be afraid?

I now live a life full of peace, joy, and music. All of those things come strictly because of Him. There are times when I run away from Him, but when I come back, He is there telling me to stay with Him always.

 

Oh my Savior, as I look full in your face everything around me fades and all I see is your call to follow you. So I will. Whatever it takes.

I love Thanksgiving. Possibly even more than Christmas (and I LOVE Christmas). But instead of just telling you why I love it, I thought I might just give you a little insight into a normal family thanksgiving dinner for me. So here ya go. Hope you enjoy.

—————————————————————————————————————

On Thanksgiving Day, my family travels to my grandmother’s house in Cullman, Alabama. We usually fall asleep in the car until we hit the gravel road that jolts us awake to an exciting realization: We’re here.

As I walk in the door I hear my grandmother in the kitchen laughing as my cousins stick their fingers in the food and run away giggling. I see the Lord in the way that she sets aside her time to cook for her family. She finds so much joy in serving us. I love that God made her that way.

“Joe! I need the punch bowl from downstairs please,” she yells to my grandfather, as he emerges from back room where he was probably looking for his house shoes. (He prefers to be comfortable.) When he sees us, his smile spreads from ear to ear, and he says in his grandfatherly way, “Well hi! I’m so glad y’all could make it!” The joy in his eyes makes it obvious that every word is absolute truth. His hospitality could make anyone feel like they were not only welcome, but wanted. He leans down to embrace us with his big arms and squeezes us until we can’t breathe. Then he releases us, and with a wink just like Santa Clause, he whispers, “I’ll be right back.”

My other grandmother and great grandfather come through the front door. They have begun joining us for thanksgiving dinner with this side of the family, and it’s such a blessing to have us all in one place. Everyone greets them with lots of hugs and how are you’s. I love the way that they all know each other’s names even though there’s no blood relation there.

I venture into the next room to find my oldest cousins, twin boys, sitting at the table engaged in manly conversation with my uncle. It usually consists of hunting seasons and my uncle’s latest construction projects. I interrupt their conversation to hug the three of them, and then quickly exit so I don’t prolong my intrusion on their, “manliness.” Shaking my head, I smile at the fellowship they have in each other. I’m so thankful for it.

I go back to the kitchen, hugging everyone I see on the way there, and find my grandmother still buzzing around like the busiest bee you’ve ever seen. When I ask how I can help, she gives me a small list of things to do, and I set about immediately to complete my tasks. I wash some of the dishes in the sink and start the coffee pot. Then I check the rolls in the oven knowing she usually forgets they’re there. This year she remembered, and I take note of the perfectly golden bread sitting next to the green beans.

When all the cooking is done, we all gather in the same room to thank God for the food and each other. This is possibly my most favorite part of Thanksgiving. Everyone stands humbly, as equals, stripped of any stress for just a moment. One of the men says the prayer, and I am reminded of the how blessed I am to be standing here with my entire family, a family that loves me. It gets overwhelming to think about.

After we hear, “Amen,” it’s a mad dash to the front of the line. We grab our plates and heap on all the southern style cooking we can manage. Mashed potatoes on top of the turkey and green beans and mac and cheese squeezed in next to it. Rolls are balanced carefully on the edge of the plate, and we begin the balancing act back to the table.

Over dinner, my brother and the cousin closest to his age start talking about the latest thing they built on Minecraft and how they can’t wait to go build something after dinner. The younger girls check- up on the newest crush in the other’s life, and talk about all of the, “cute,” things the boys do. The four oldest of us just laugh and observe the conversations of the younger ones. Once they leave the table, we finally begin catching up ourselves. “How’s college going?” “Are you still dating that guy?” “How has your basketball season been?” “Have your grades tanked yet this year?….. yeah same.” We laugh, knowing that we can be open and honest.

Because we don’t live super close, I find it difficult to be keep up with what’s going on with my cousins. But in this moment, sitting around the Thanksgiving table, I get some time to be a part of their lives. I get to listen and laugh at their latest adventures, knowing that we all love each other unconditionally. No, we don’t always get along. No, it’s not always smiles and fuzzy, heart-warming stories. But more often than not, we find joy in each other’s company because of that unspoken but always understood unconditional love.

THAT is why I love Thanksgiving. It’s uninterrupted time with my family where we can come around one table. We get to love each other by listening. We have good food, and we focus on each other rather than ourselves. And it’s not because we are super selfless or amazing people. It’s just because we love each other.

Life is not void of pain. I will confess that even as I write this, I am sick and a little heart-broken. But today, I hope that you will join me as we set aside the pain and live in the joy that God has called us to. Spend time with those you love and bask in thankfulness. Remember that today was created to restore us to that joy.

 

Thank You, God, for Thanksgiving.