Thanksgiving

Yes, Thanksgiving was 3 weeks ago. In the 3 weeks that have passed since that special day of celebration, including time around a table eating a traditional Thanksgiving meal, I believe we have fleshed out the instruction “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” in new and—at times—very intense ways. I say “we”. In all honesty it was Willis who walked through the valley of the shadow of death, experiencing pain, despair, frustration, more pain, feelings of abandonment. I was mostly an observer—and hopefully a support to him—but giving thanks to God for Willis’s difficult times was tough. In the end, we learned new dimensions of God’s faithfulness and grew in knowing Him and each other.

Surgery, a hospital stay, unforeseen, mysterious complications—actually, what other kind are there?—all are truly opportunities for learning and growth. And Thanksgiving is truly a celebration for every day of the year.

December 7th, 1941--A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

This past week I finished reading—well, I listened to the audio book—The War by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns. Throughout my childhood I heard only snippets about the war since my father, who was a Marine during World War II—volunteering on January 1, 1942 and serving in the Pacific until the War was over in late 1945—clearly didn’t want to discuss it. “Never look back” is one of his signature quotes. But we need to be reminded of the hundreds of thousands of families whose loved ones gave their lives to defend our country and advance the cause of freedom. This book is a “compelling, unflinching narrative”, “an intimate, profoundly affecting chronicle of the war”, and I believe should be required reading for all Americans.