Thanksgiving Eve

It's Thanksgiving Eve! And it's time to do what the word says - give thanks!

My children and I have been reading Laura Ingells-Wilder's Little House on the Prairie together. As I read I am constantly thankful that I live in this century! Her stories are set in Pioneer Days -the 1800's - and Ma works terribly hard to survive. Making cheese for her is a three day process - for me it's a 10 second process - pick it up at the grocery store! Sugar is a luxury and the girls rarely see it much less eat it! They'd be shocked to see our Halloween bags! To get honey or syrup they head to the forest of trees. To get milk they head to the cows in the barn. And going to the store is something only for Pa. Pa goes and trades skins of animals to bring home some cloth so that ma can sew pretty dresses for the girls.

The girls have little to no toys to speak of. The one girl has a doll her ma made and the other pretends by wrapping leaves in a blanket. There's no television or radio - so at night Pa plays the fiddle and they sing and dance as a family together. Pa always has his gun by the door ready to defend the family of the bears outside and he works hard to provide food through his hunting and farming. It's by the sweat of ma and pa's brow that they provide their daily food for the family. Nearly all their time is spent on survival.

Though aspects of this story are desirable like the close family togetherness. I can see that I am thankful for so many of the luxuries this century has brought me - we have easy access to cheese, milk, honey, syrup, clothing and toys. It is very easy to take something like cheese for granted! We have cheese everyday - but if I had to take three days to make it - I'm thinking we might have less cheese in our house!

I am so thankful for my overflowing trash cans today - that means we have food. I am so thankful for my overflowing laundry baskets - that means we have clothes. I am thankful for a kitchen floor that has dirt marks from the mud on my kids shoes - that means we have shoes and a warm home. Today I give thanks to God for providing for us!

Psalm 107:1 says "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Naturally I think about the luxuries that I have been blessed with that I must thank God for but it is his enduring love that I am most thankful for. His death on the cross, his resurrection and his forgiveness of my sin is my complete joy! "There is no better place on earth - than the road that leads to heaven!" As you prepare for thanksgiving - give thanks that you didn't have to raise, kill and pluck that turkey you are about to cook!

Walk with the King!

Courtney

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/