Around nine o'clock the night before Thanksgiving, my family experienced a very unexpected power outage. We were in the middle of watching an episode of Love It or List It on TV and popcorn was popping in the microwave when things went black. And eerily quiet. After we waited for a while and nothing happened, Dad found flashlights for everyone to take to their rooms, and we headed to bed. My bedroom is right next to the laundry, and usually I hear the delightful tumbling of the dryer or the swish, swish, swish of water in the washing machine, but not tonight. All was still. Not even my lovely, clackety bathroom fan was going. It was so silent, my ears literally hurt. Lying in my bed, I began to think of the things I easily took for granted . . . like the power, but, to be more specific, the lights, sound, and air conditioning/heating made possible through electricity. When was the last time I paused to even consider it? Shalom curled up on my feet and began to purr. Her purr had always been deep and rumbly, but especially tonight, when it competed with nothing except the hollow feeling in my eardrums. Closing my eyes, I determined to give thanks more often for the things that often go unnoticed, yet are unarguably significant.
The power came back on around midnight (right as Dad was about to get the generator running . . . sorry, Dad). Early the following morning, my sister, brother, and I went jogging as planned, then came back to help finish up Thanksgiving Day preparations. Our relatives were due to arrive at any moment, and it was a marathon trying to get the house cleaned and the food cooked and served while simultaneously entertaining the littles and holding Ruby, who refused to be put down. It was one of our biggest (if not the biggest) Thanksgiving dinners my family has ever had, with dishes of turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn casserole, yeast rolls and honey butter, and a sweet potato casserole. For dessert, there was pumpkin pie, apple pie, ginger snaps, sugar cookies, and ice cream. Mom had to make enough for our whole family, plus two aunts, two uncles, and two cousins. And then for supper, of course, almost everybody had leftovers. Electricity fueled our gas stove, kept the ice cream cold in the freezer, ran the microwave, and allowed us to turn on the lights while we ate. Going without power wouldn't have been the end of the world, but it certainly would have been an inconvenience to us spoiled American people . . . especially during a holiday!
This Thanksgiving Day, I was given a reality check that made me especially thankful. In the midst of all this corona madness and political junk, we may feel we have a lot to complain about, but God commands us to praise Him and give thanks through every circumstance. He has a plan, He is working, and He has gifted us with oh, so much . . . more than we can ever, ever deserve.
I'm thankful for power (of course), a clean Christian series of books I recently found, laughter, my family, my salvation, the gift of being able to run/walk/jog, music, sunshine, my kitten, my computer, food, clothes, a house to live in . . . and the list goes on. What're some things you're thankful for? Drop them in the comments below, or simply say a quick prayer to God praising Him for these unmerited blessings!
A final note before I close this post: my book, The Whispers God Gives, is currently on sale at Amazon for only $4 per paperback copy (the original price is $7.99)!! This super deal lasts only till Tuesday, so hurry on over and snag your copy (or if you're looking for a Christmas gift for a tween/teenage friend, here's your opportunity)! CLICK ANYWHERE IN THIS SENTENCE.
Enjoy your weekend! Happy Thanksgiving! (okay, so I'm technically a day late, but hey, it's never too late, or too early, to be thankful.)
Blessings,
Ellen S.
