How was your 2020 Thanksgiving celebration? Did you have the usual spread of turkey, stuffing, and casseroles and pies? Did your family gather in front of the television to watch football or a parade?
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Were you isolated from family and friends because of a shelter in place order? Did you play a pick up game of football in the front yard or watch a local parade from the inside of your car? Did you watch the livestream of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on You Tube?
Our Thanksgiving traditions have changed a lot over the years, but this year was pretty unusual for me. Maybe it was the lack of colder weather or the fact that I went sugar free this year. Perhaps moving to another state in August set the stage for the unfamiliarity that made our plans seem uncertain this Thanksgiving. We thought about going on a weekend trip to Phoenix or Tucson. But in the end, we just stayed home like it was any other weekend (with a few extra days off work).
My new home has a wonderful kitchen and lots of electric appliances-some we brought and some we rent. The refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove are recent models, probably the same age as the house. We have enjoyed using the appliances. There is one drawback....
I react strongly to gas: natural gas or propane, diesel or jet, any petroleum product. Someone told me my symptoms sound like a migraine. So unless I want to be in bed for the day, I don't cook on the range that comes with our house. In fact, I asked the landlord to turn off the source of gas to the stove/oven completely.
How do you cook a turkey without an oven? Moreover, how do you cook any part of Thanksgiving dinner without an oven? We didn't. We grilled mesquite chicken.
We managed to cook one pumpkin pie in our toaster oven (which is remarkable that a pie dish can fit inside). It was a little dry perhaps, but my family enjoyed the custard.
Another blow to my celebration was the lack of extra people in my home. I love being home with my immediate family and I'm an introvert to boot. Still, I grew up with the tradition that family (no matter how much you fight with them) got together for holidays. Thanksgiving was the exception: my dad couldn't take time off to travel 12 hours to spend Thanksgiving with my grandparents. My mom found a way around that limitation: we adopted grandparents! We always invited our "adopted" grandpa or grandma over for Thanksgiving dinner. I loved those memories of special times with special people. It made living far away from family not so lonely.
Later in my life, my mom's family all moved to the same town. We spent every holiday at my grandma's house making memories over a big meal and a game of Royal Rummy or Taboo. After my grandma passed away, my cousin rose to the occasion and began hosting our family holiday gatherings. I always made the mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.
This year, I still made the mashed potatoes but I didn't need as many pounds of potatoes.
I felt like my expectations of Thanksgiving were shaken because we didn't have family over (too far away to visit), we didn't eat turkey, and we didn't watch a parade. I didn't even eat pie because I used a recipe that called for ingredients I can't have. What made Thanksgiving a day that was different from any other Thursday? Was I really any more grateful that day or the month of November? Or was I feeling less grateful than other days because my expectations were unmet?
Another question was raised in my mind: what makes a specific day a holiday? Is it the traditions and the cultural expectations we meet? Is it the gifts or the people? the food or the activity?
What is holy about these days we call holidays? Do we give thanks to God more on Thanksgiving or celebrate the life of Jesus Christ more on Christmas? How do we emphasize the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and Easter Sunday? How does our celebration become holy in the midst of the food, family, and festivities?
Is your holiday celebration more holy than the other days on the calendar? Does God's presence fill your mind and your interactions with others more on these holidays? I can't say that I see the distinction in my heart and mind; moreover, shouldn't every day look holy like this?
Our family is on the verge of another move. This move will place before us life change for which we have no way to fully prepare. We don't know what to expect! We are leaving the familiar and entering a new climate, new culture, new language, new government system, new way of life. How can we have appropriate expectations? What will we do when our expectations are not met?
God has been reminding me through the counsel of those whom he loves and who love him: my attitude matters more than my circumstances. What good are expectations that go unmet? What is worse? to have plans change and expectations be unmet? or to complain, pout, and grumble over some situation that didn't turn out how I wanted it to?
Joy is a choice that awaits me in the midst of unmet expectations. It is a choice to look beyond the immediate circumstance to the awaiting opportunities: opportunities that can pass by if my attitude is focused on what didn't happen instead of what could happen. Joy is choosing to delight in the Lord's presence in the "what is happening now" rather than "what should have happened". Joy is choosing to delight in God's wisdom and and trust his authority over my life in each situation regardless of the circumstances I face.
Expectations. What were your expectations for this year? Have you changed your plans a few times since January? I think the rapidly changing situations we encountered this year have reminded me I need stability. I need something unchanging to cling to...
I need God.
In a world that is so uncertain, God has never changed. Neither have his plans for humanity and the world he created. From before time began, God's character was and remains stable and dependable. God has revealed himself to humanity clearly and consistently. He wrote his story and has preserved his words for thousands of years in one book, the Bible. His truth never changes and his loyal, faithful love never disappoints. I can trust the truth of God's Word and my expectations will always be met. How can I be this confident? Because God has proved his character throughout history, and he has kept every promise he has made (or will keep those that remain). The birth of Jesus Christ was promised thousands of years before it happened. All those who believed in God's promise of a Savior, a redeemer, the Messiah were not disappointed. Many died before they saw this promise fulfilled, but God still kept his word. Galatians 4:4 reads, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son," NASB or "But when the right time came, God sent his Son." NLT
We are starting a new tradition this year to turn our Christmas focus toward our unchanging, faithful God and his son, Jesus. We are celebrating the names of Jesus, the ways his names reveal who he his and what he has done to show his love to us. We are making an Advent month paper chain. Every day we read a verse or passage of the Bible that explains one of the names given to Jesus. Some of the names we have learned this month are Immanuel "God with us" and Messiah "Anointed One". We read in John 4 a conversation where a woman is given the opportunity to find out who Jesus is. She mentions her people's hope in the promise of the Messiah. "The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” John 4:25-26 NASB God kept his promise to send the Messiah who would crush the deceiver, Satan. Jesus kept that promise. God has also promised to rescue a broken world, groaning under the weight of sin. He will keep that promise too.
I thank God for the truth I can cling to when my expectations of life in this broken world are disappointed, truth that hope in God will not disappoint me... ever. And hope that someday all the promises will be kept just like he has kept promises in the past. That is worth celebrating every day, no matter whether the feast is traditional or guests have arrived. Maybe I will learn how to celebrate the hope of the gospel in a tropical climate where it never snows and pine trees can't be found. It will still be a Christmas worth celebrating.
"Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:1-5