A Thanksgiving Story

David watched as the ride-share driver took off, then turned and faced his brother’s home. He took a deep breath, trying to steel himself to approach the front door. It wasn’t his idea to visit his brother’s family for dinner this Thanksgiving; if it were up to him, he would have stayed home and warmed some frozen turkey slices in the microwave.  But his brother, Marty, had insisted he join them, and David had to admit that the promised traditional dinner would be far superior to his own frozen meal.

His only hesitance was that Marty and his family were just so, well, perfect. Perfect wife, Katy; perfect kids – one perfect daughter and one perfect son. Both A+ students, both gifted musicians and star athletes. Marty had a good income from his executive position, and Katy almost rivaled his with her online consulting business. Even their dog and cat were perfect – they never even shed!

David shook his head as he thought about his brother’s family. How lucky their lives have been! But David’s life, well he wasn’t doing so well. Just this past year, he had lost his job – “down-sizing,” they had called it, “Sorry to see you go,” they had said. Then an emergency room visit due to gangrene that had led to a toe amputation. Then a diagnosis of kidney failure and the beginning of dialysis treatments. It could not have been a worse year for him. Never having married, there was no one even to share those struggles with. So now, alone, he was going to his perfect brother’s house in a ride-share car, since last week he had totaled his own car. And now, it was time to “celebrate” Thanksgiving! Give thanks? To whom and for what?

Deciding it was too late to back out, Dave walked to the door and rang the door bell. A voice spoke from the door-bell camera (of course), saying, “Come on in!” Dave opened the door and was warmly greet by Marty, and ushered into the dining room. “So glad you could come!” said Marty; then from the kitchen into the dining room came Katy, looking perfect as always. She smiled a smile as bright as sunlight as she greet David: “We’re so happy you’re here! It’s been too long!” It would have been longer, but Marty insisted, thought David.

Next, the two perfect kids appeared, greeting, “Hi, Uncle Dave!” Right from Central Casting, David thought. In just a few minutes, the pleasantries ended, and the whole family took their seats at the large table. Festooned with fall and Thanksgiving decorations, and serving platters piled high with food as pleasing to the eye as to the palate, that table would make a fitting cover for Better Homes and Gardens’ holiday issue.

Now, David knew, it was time for the Thanksgiving prayer before the eating could begin. David hoped Marty would offer a short grace; the two brothers had grown up with simple prayers like: “God is great, God is good, so we thank him for our food,” or, “Good food, good meat, Good God, let’s eat!”* That would be fine, not to have to listen to a prayer lifting all the good things his brother’s family were grateful for. But David knew that Katy would be offering the prayer, and he was afraid the turkey would be cold by the time she finished. Oh, well . . . so be it, thought David.

Sure enough, Katy began:

Dear heavenly Father, we come to you this national day of Thanksgiving, to thank you for your blessing on our country, both throughout its history, and in the present day. Too often have we turned from you and endorsed sinful practices, yet you have abounded in mercy, ready to forgive and strengthen us to return to your fold. May our motto, “In God We Trust,” be lived out as well as proclaimed.

So far so good. . . now say, “Amen” .  . .

And now, Lord, we thank you especially for your goodness this year for to our family . . .

Oh, no, here it comes – a perfect blessing for a perfect family . . .

We thank you for your strength for Marty to endure the lawsuit against his company, and for the medical intervention to improve his blood pressure and guide his actions in a biblical way in this situation . . .

What? A lawsuit? He never told me about that . . .

And for our daughter, Grace, that you led us to the right doctor to treat her skin cancer. We thank you that the treatments are working to stop the cancer spreading, and we pray for her healing and encouragement.

Grace has cancer? Since when?

For our son, Greg, we are disappointment that his sports scholarship was rejected for college. Please encourage him and give him a clear path forward according to your will.

No way he was turned down! Did you aver see him play?

And for my business, Lord, may you move the client that refuses to pay me to pay what they owe, or else I may have to go bankrupt and lose the business that I have worked so hard to build up.

Oh wow. And here I thought everything was perfect for them. I guess one never knows . . .

Now we pray for Dave, who has had such a difficult year. Please give him courage and yet unseen blessings in this coming year, that you may bless him financially and health-wise. We thank you for being with him and protecting him in all adversities.

What protection? Thanks for what?

For his foot surgery, we thank you that the gangrene was caught in time and was treated effectively, saving his leg and even his life from the severe sepsis it caused. We also thank you that David’s kidneys can be treated with dialysis to prolong his life from what used to be a death sentence. And for his accident, we thank you for protecting his life, that only his car was lost. Thank you that you sent your angels to watch over him that day. We pray also for him to find new, productive and satisfying employment, that his finances may flourish and his self-esteem may improve. May he find and receive an even better job than he ever had before, and may he see your hand in freeing him up to be available for what is to come. For all these thing, and for this food before us, even the cold turkey, we give you all our thanks and praise, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

David just sat there as the rest of the family stared grabbing for their favorite dishes. How could I have been so self-centered, thought David, to not see the struggles Marty’s family was facing, nor to see their love for me in all I am suffering, nor to see the ways God had watched over me in every situation? Even Marty’s invitation to dinner had been God’s plan for me to climb out of my own hole and see my brother’s family’s struggles, and realize how much God loved them and me.

As David reached for the turkey, he was grateful it still had some warmth to it, he offered his own silent prayer for his family and for a God who loved him so much he not only blessed him in this life, no matter the struggles, but also provided the promise of eternal life to come, by the gift of his own Son, Jesus Christ.

As he finished his prayer, he remember the words of Philippians 4:7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 2 Corinthians 9:11-13; Philippians 4:2-9; 1 Timothy 4:4-5.

*Actual prayer from a camper in summer camp in the 1970’s.

Note: the names of Marty and Katy were not chosen randomly; can you think of some other famous couple with those names?