Last year, Thanksgiving just wasn't quite the same. There was an empty chair where Robert sat at the table, and it was saddening. This year, even more saddening, Robert and Emily's chairs will both be empty for Thanksgiving dinner. It would be so easy to sit and dwell on the fact that my two oldest children, whom I've known the longest of all of them, won't be joining us during this special time. It would be easy to say that we're just not having Thanksgiving dinner, since we aren't all here anyway, and my best kitchen helper (Emily) won't be here to help, and besides that, I'm eight months pregnant!
That might be the easy thing, but not something I would ever consider. While part of my family is missing, most of my family is here, and we have much to be thankful for, this week, and every week of the year! I'm thankful that my oldest two children ARE in the freezing cold of Chicago, every single weekend, sharing the gospel of Christ, compelling the unchurched to come with them to church, and serving in the ministries of Hyles-Anderson College and First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. I am thankful that we HAVE food to eat, a beautiful kitchen in which to prepare it, a large, gorgeous dining room table from which to eat it. I'm thankful that although I have two children who can't join us, I have eight children still under my roof, with which to share meals. I'm thankful that in just one month or so, I will have the indescribable pleasure of meeting my eleventh child, my eight son, and teaching and training him for the Lord, for as long as He allows.
There are so many, many blessings that I am thankful for that there is just not time or space for me to put them all into a post. I am glad that there is a holiday called Thanksgiving day, but my prayer is that I will always live in thanksgiving, as I have been blessed beyond measure.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I Thess. 5:18
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