Today I unpacked my childhood Christmas stocking. I know it is mine because it has my name on it. It is a hand knitted, one of a kind, made by my mom, Christmas stocking. Actually, she made nine of them, including mine. One for each of my sisters and one for each of my six cousins. They are all identical in pattern, the only difference being the name knitted into each one. Well, actually there is one other very critical and readily apparent difference to discern, if all nine stockings could be viewed side by side. It is this. size My stocking is significantly smaller than the others, which seemed to grow bigger as the years went by.

I am the oldest of the nine of us. My stocking must have served as the test case, as it were because the stocking of my youngest cousin is huge by comparison. Now, I would go so far as to say this is not fair. But I am no longer a child and I am over it. Can you tell? Was that convincing enough for you, dear readers?

But the lesson of the Christmas stocking doesn’t depend on its size, it is something else entirely. We hang them up empty on Christmas Eve trusting that Santa Clause will find them and fill them with good things. Although there was always the ever present possibility that if I had not been good enough there would be a lump of coal or switches in my stocking, instead of treats and gifts. (this was standard Christmas lore at the time anyway) So my sisters and I were sure to be on our best behavior for the month of December every year. (although I have to confess – this incentive/threat really wasn’t very effective the other eleven months of the year)

Advent preparations involve preparing to receive Christ but also seem to involve preparing to receive all manner of unexpected gifts and surprises. We prepare to receive people into our home and maybe into our lives that have been heretofore overlooked or excluded. We make time and room for special foods and music and gifts that are not present with us the rest of the year. That’s why we hang up empty Christmas stockings, we have made room for the new gifts that we expect will fill them. We have cleaned house to make room for the new gifts of Christmas.

Now with Santa I am taking a bit of a chance. I am assuming these gifts will be good gifts, but those stories of coal and switches still loom in the recesses of my mind. The gifts of Christmas from my Heavenly Father are always good, however. James 1:17 tells me this saying –

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadow.”

Santa would seem to be the quintessential giver of gifts but these words of Jesus in Matthew 7:9-11 give a different perspective on the subject saying –

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”

Yes, God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. Whatever my wishes and longings are this Advent season, I can rest assured that this promise is true –

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

Jesus Christ, God’s Christmas gift to me and to you, brings with Him all the other gifts my Heavenly Father wants to give me. The question is, will I be ready to receive them? Is my stocking hanging empty, ready and waiting to be filled with His good gifts? All God’s good gifts are found in the person of His Son, Jesus. Colossians 2:2-3 says this about Christ –

” . . . that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Jesus’s appearance and presence here on earth brought so many gifts to us. He brought light into our darkness, hope into our despair, healing into our illness, comfort into our grief, forgiveness into our overwhelming debt of guilt, peace into our strife, an offer of life everlasting to replace our sentence of death, and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge plus joy unspeakable in His Presence!

The gifts of Advent are many and they are all good. I think they are more than my childhood Christmas stocking could ever contain. I surely can say along with David on this day in the season of Advent, as I prepare my home, my heart and my gifts for the coming of my King –

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:5-6)

Jesus has come! Jesus is coming again!

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord, for He comes, He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His truth.” (Psalm 96:11-13)

sincerely, Grace Day

Today is a quiet day. How ironic! The days of Advent, being days of preparation, are typically busier than normal days, having all those extra tasks added on top of everyday routines and responsibilities. Maybe that is the gift of my toe injury plus my illness (I have bronchitis) – I cannot participate in the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle. Which also means, I am behind on my Christmas shopping. Yes, I am confessing – I do not yet have gifts fully prepared and ready to give.

I have been writing in these past few days about preparing my home for Christmas, about preparing my heart to fully receive the gift of Christmas, Jesus, God’s Son; but something else that I typically prepare are gifts to give to those I love. Gift giving is synonymous with Christmas, probably because Christmas started with a gift – God’s gift to the world – Jesus. Then the Wise Men showed up with gifts of their own for the newborn Jesus, expensive gifts to show Him honor and respect.

In the quiet of this Advent morning, a favorite childhood Christmas song plays clearly in my mind. We sang this song in children’s choir for the church Christmas program when I was maybe first grade? I identified so strongly, so closely with the speaker in the song, that I carry its impact with me yet today. The song “The Little Drummer Boy” tells a story I identified with then, that I identify with still today. Maybe it was because I was a small child at the time I first sang this song, that I felt so close to the small child whose story the song tells.

He tells his own story, this little drummer boy, starting with the invitation he receives to go with the Wise Men to worship baby Jesus. “Come they told me . . . A newborn King to see . . . Our finest gifts we bring . . . To lay before the King . . . So to honor Him . . . When we come.” So there he was, this young boy, having accepted the invitation from the Magi, he now found himself in a tough place. The Magi were presenting their rare and expensive gifts to Jesus’s parents and the little drummer boy had no such gift to give. His story continues –

“Little baby . . . I am a poor boy too . . . I have no gift to bring . . . That’s fit to give our King.” With those words I knew the truth. Neither did I. I had nothing of value to offer the Baby in the manger, the King of all Creation, the Savior of the world. I shared in the little drummer boy’s plight, I shared in his poverty. I, too, found myself standing before the Lord of Lords with nothing to give. For me, that is as true today as it was all those years ago. I still come before my King, poor, empty handed and all too aware of my lack. But I learned a lesson from the drummer boy as his story continued when he asked,

“Shall I play for You . . . On my drum . . . Mary nodded . . . the ox and lamb kept time . . . I played my drum for Him . . . I played my best for Him . . . Then He smiled at me . . . me and my drum.”

A happy ending! The little drummer boy offered Jesus what he did have to give. He offered back the very gifts God had already given him – his drum and his ability to play it for God’s glory. He played his drum as an offering to God and God was pleased. God accepted his gift! The song says the Christ child smiled!

What great reward! That’s all I could ever desire – that my offering, my gift, would be accepted by my King.

to that end my prayer today is simply this,

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

What joy that my gift might be found acceptable like the drum beats of that long ago little drummer boy, who found favor in the sight of God.

Although this Advent season falls during this time of COVID, COVID does not rule. The Ruler of the universe, the God whose Advent we are preparing to celebrate reigns supreme. Lord, grant that I walk through these Advent days, every step surrendered, every thought captured (the ladies in my bible study will get that one, we are learning about taking every thought captive and we are finding out how hard that actually is!) heart humbled, hands open . . . that I will sing Your praises with the angels, make haste to obey with the shepherds that I might behold Your precious Gift personally, journey with the Wise Men though it take me far from home, in order to find and worship You, and may I offer up whatever gifts You have graciously placed within my hands, may I give them back to You, just as the little drummer boy did.

The King has come! The King is coming! Prepare the way! Advent is upon us!

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely, Grace Day

I confess to you openly, dear readers, I am still in the decorating phase of my Advent preparations. And now my progress is impeded by my toe injury, which wouldn’t be a big deal except that my toe is connected to the rest of my body. So I am suffering in solidarity with my big toe today. However, today’s decoration is a favorite of mine, bringing with her lots of memories. Unpacking boxed up Christmas decorations is like pulling out old friends and reconnecting all over again.

Today is no different. Today I pulled out a small, red, green and white striped, china Christmas pixie. She is standing upright and has an expression on her tiny face that while admittedly angelic, belies the fact that she is always up to some Christmas mischief. She has seen a lot of Christmases and I know she could tell me many stories if she were but willing to part with her secrets.

One thing is obvious when I examine her closely. She has been glued back together no small number of times over the years. She still bears the scars, the fault lines where the breaks once occurred. We go back, she and I. This pixie was maybe my first Christmas decoration that was mine alone. I can’t believe I never gave her a name, but I didn’t. I mean she only came to spend time with me one month out of the year. Still, she had her own special place in our house.

It was in the bedroom I shared with my sisters. You see, in addition to the very large, live tree that filled our living room, Mom put a small, glittery white tree on a table in our bedroom. It was a real pine tree that had been sprayed and put on a stand. It was probably about four feet tall. It was beautiful, all glitterey, with a magic all its own. When silver icicles (remember those?) were added to her branches she became even more lovely, if that were possible. And the best part? For a tree skirt, Mom put down a roll of cotton batting (I guess) smooth and full of glitter on its surface. It was on this soft, glittery tree skirt that my Christmas pixie was placed each December, to hang out under the glittery white tree and keep watch over me.

So today, as I pull out my Christmas pixie, I am filled with memories of childhood Christmases. There was something else special about our little, white glitter pine tree. After Christmas, mom would set it outside in the backyard in the snow, with food hanging from its branches for the birds. Then we would watch and wait to see which birds showed up. The thing is, as I write this, I am remembering bacon hanging from the branches. But birds don’t eat bacon, do they? Sometimes memories from early childhood are not all that accurate. My pixie is the keeper of these secrets and she is silent for now.

When I set out my Christmas pixie, I am connected to my Mom and sisters and Christmases past. Advent is about remembering and about connection. We are remembering that first Christmas, Jesus come to dwell with us for awhile. And in the remembering we are connected to all who rejoice with us at His birth, knowing that a way back to God has been given. The whole world celebrates God’s gift of His Son, together.

Something else we do together is wait for His return. We are remembering and rejoicing while waiting with eager expectation for Christ’s return. Christmas is a celebration of both events. One has already taken place, the other is yet to come.

That first celebration was a small one, shared only by shepherds, angels and wise men. The rest of the world would find out later just who Jesus is. Here’s how that first celebration of Advent happened –

“And there were Shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. . . . Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rest.’ ” (Luke 2:13-14)

Heaven was already rejoicing at Jesus’s birth. It would take a number of years before we, the slumbering people of earth, would join the angels in their celebration. But we would come around eventually, when we came to understand what the angels already knew. The living Word had become flesh and come to live with us for awhile.

This is no small thing. Consider what 2 Corinthians 8:9 tells us about this miracle of Christmas.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your (my) sakes He became poor, so that you (I) through His poverty might become rich.”

Philippians 2:6-11 sums up the Christmas story in these words, saying that Jesus –

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

That’s the miracle of Christmas – that the Creator of the universe, being limitless in every aspect of His being, entered into our limited world of time and space, taking on our physical limitations and time and space constraints as His own. The angels were rejoicing on the night of Jesus’s birth because they knew God had brought salvation to His people at last!

During this Advent season, we prepare to receive Jesus all over again. Perhaps other things have been crowding out Jesus’s place and presence in my life. Now is the time for me to clean house and to make room for Him all over again.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

Jesus has come! Jesus is coming! prepare ye the way of the Lord!

sincerely, Grace Day

Mary and Joseph were on an adventure. Well, a journey anyway. Maybe the difference is an adventure is something we choose to embark upon, whereas a journey may simply be the path put before us and where it leads us. Mary and Joseph didn’t choose the path they found themselves on as they journeyed to Bethlehem. That had been chosen for them by a ruler named Caesar Augustus. Actually, Mary and Joseph hadn’t chosen any part of their current path, except their engagement and intention to marry. God had chosen their journey for them when He selected Mary to give birth to His Son, Jesus, and chose Joseph to be the earthly Father of Jesus.

You could say Mary and Joseph were on an adventure but it was certainly nothing of their own choosing. This was the first Advent. Having been told by the angel that Mary was carrying Jesus, the long awaited Messiah, both Mary and Joseph were awaiting His birth as any expectant parents would, yet knowing it was so much more. They were busy preparing for Jesus’s arrival, I am certain, when they were called away to Bethlehem because of a required census ordered by Caesar Augustus.

Kind of hard to get ready for an important event when you are traveling far from home. And this travel was on foot. Well, Mary was riding on a donkey. That couldn’t have been too comfortable for her, being nine months pregnant as she was. But this was not a fairy tale. This was the real life adventure of the first advent – the countdown to Jesus’s birth.

Why am I reminiscing about this now? Because today I unpacked and put out my nativity. Well, one of them anyway. So naturally I am remembering the story of the first Christmas and how it all went down. (the proper wording would be “came to pass”) This is what we are preparing to celebrate, the first coming of Jesus to earth. As we take this time of Advent to reflect and remember, we have a reason to rejoice when we realize all God did for us in sending His Son.

I am doing some remembering today, as I place the figures of my nativity in their proper places. This nativity is from Zambia. It looks very different than some of my other nativity sets and yet they are all the same. Shepherds, wise men, a stable, a star, a manger, a baby, some sheep and an angel, Mary and Joseph and maybe a camel? It is a universal scene portrayed again and again down through the ages. This nativity connects me to my sisters and to Zambia and the people living there. It doesn’t seem that long ago that my sisters and I were there and yet it could have been in another lifetime. Such are the times we live in.

Mary and Joseph were living in difficult, dark times when they made their journey to Bethlehem. They lived under an oppressive Roman rule. They were waiting for a deliverer who would set them all free. That’s how they ended up on their Advent adventure in the first place. Luke 2:1-7 explains how it happened.

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. . . . And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Far from home, no place to stay, no room except where people kept their animals – not exactly plan A or plan B or any plan at all for Mary and Joseph. Except this was God’s plan, a plan the prophets had spoken of centuries before. Just look at what Micah 5:2 says about where Jesus will be born –

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Mary and Joseph didn’t choose Bethlehem as Jesus’s birthplace, God did. I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I have to confess – I’ve looked at this year more as a journey than an adventure. (a fearful, stressful journey rather than an exciting, thrill-filled adventure) Probably because I didn’t choose any of what has happened to me or to those I love this year. I bet you didn’t sign up for any of this either? It has felt like a laborious, uphill climb with no summit in sight. A climb that I didn’t sign up for.

How similar this Advent season is to the first advent. Both take place during dark and difficult times in history. Edicts are being made that we must follow, just like Joseph had to leave his home, his work, his daily life behind and journey far on foot, simply to satisfy the whim of a Roman ruler. Our businesses, schools and places of worship are closed down as are other gathering places like gyms, restaurants, museums and theaters. We are living in fear of disease and death, separated from family and friends when we most need each other. What a perfect time for this Advent season! Dietrich Bonhoeffer explained it this way –

“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”

Advent is a time of anticipation. We are anticipating and preparing for the coming of our King! Light is coming into our darkness. This year more than ever, I would imagine that out of our weariness, out of our longing for peace and light to enter into our turmoil and darkness, we would be intentional in our Advent preparations to make ready for our Savior’s arrival.

He has come! He is coming again! I am remembering His first coming as I set out my nativity today. That first announcement from the angel to the shepherds –

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ “

good news, great joy, all people oh, the anticipation, the adventure of Advent!

“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:5)

sincerely, Grace Day

Today it dawns on me that doing a decoration a day is not going to get the job done by the deadline. At some point I should pick up the pace if I am to be fully prepared. To that end, I put a wreath on the front door, pull out a favorite Christmas plate and ponder what next to do? So many possibilities. So many memories with each decoration I unpack. And who will see these decorations of mine, anyway? No one is coming. I am ever mindful of this reality even as I go through the motions of Advent.

Some celebrations are meant to be shared. Actually, show me one that is not. There’s an old Swedish proverb that says, “Shared joy is a double joy, shared sorrow is half a sorrow.” We are not meant to live in isolation and fear. When the COVID czars figure this out, our mental health, our overall health (including natural immunities currently weakened by fear and constant stress) will improve and we will all be better off, especially as we return to our gyms, to our churches and to our regular doctor’s appointments, now long put off and postponed in the name of COVID.

So today I decide to start with the window sill over my kitchen sink. I used to put a little village of sorts there, some tiny evergreen trees, a snowman and a little house. These were my mom’s at one time. Actually, they were my grandma’s before they were hers. Did I mention I come from a long line of dedicated Christmas decorators? Their homes were full of Christmas. Everywhere you looked there was some Christmas surprise.

I remember Mom filled the house with fresh evergreen, which she sprayed with silver spray paint to give it a certain look, I guess. This she made into a wreath for over the mantle and also filled the mantle with the fresh and also freshly painted pine branches. The house smelled like pine and spray paint mixed together for days, until cookie baking smells took over. But I digress.

Today I place three small plastic Santas in the window where the village used to be. My cat discovered the tiny pine trees of the village and would destroy them if left unsupervised, so now I put my three plastic Santas there every year. These are Santas I remember from my grandma’s house at Christmas. I call them my dime store Santas. (yes, we had a “dime store”, probably the forerunner of today’s dollar stores) And our dime store was a wondrous place. Crowded floor to ceiling with too many things to take in all at once, it’s best feature was a large fish tank full of gold fish that you could purchase. You could pick out the fish you wanted to take home and then watch while they scooped your fish up out of the tank with a net. I confess – it was always a tough decision for me, which fish to select. Never mind they were all goldfish. I liked to think I could tell them apart, recognizing their individual uniqueness.

So today as I set out my plastic dime store Santas, I remember Grandma and Mom and trips to the Dime Store downtown. I guess treasure doesn’t have to be expensive to be treasure. I am receiving a gift today from this Advent season of preparation. It is the gift of connection, the gift of sweet memories. (ok, two gifts) Advent is all about remembering – remembering that Jesus came and that His coming connects me to God, my Creator, in a way the Law has never been able to do. Just ask the Israelites, they’ll tell you. The Law couldn’t save them because they couldn’t keep the Law. God knows they tried.

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His (God’s) sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” (Romans 3:19-20)

The Jewish people knew they needed a Savior and they were waiting for this promised Messiah. They just didn’t recognize Him when He arrived. I don’t want to make that same mistake. Jesus is clearly God’s provision for me to be reconciled to Him. Jesus is my connection to my Heavenly Father.

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-24)

It is Jesus. Jesus is the connection. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham all those centuries ago when God told Abraham,

“and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)

It is through Abraham’s descendants that Jesus came into this world bringing with Him light, life, redemption, hope, joy, healing, mercy, truth, grace, – more things than can be listed here. Jesus, God’s gift to us, brings to us more gifts of God than we could ever unwrap in a lifetime.

Today I thank God for His gifts of memory and connection. My Christmas decorations connect me to my family, being the bearers of those special memories. As I prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, I get to remember all over again to what great lengths my Heavenly Father went in order to connect with me personally. Extraordinay!

Jesus has come! Jesus is coming! Time to get ready to receive Him! Advent is here!

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

preparing a place for Him,

sincerely, Grace Day

It was not going to be a traditional Thanksgiving. Of that they were certain. Stella and Toby were miffed, actually they were downright, outright, mad. Their housemates had departed for the holiday, dashing off to Denver to be with family. Weren’t they family? Stella and Toby wondered as they wandered around the now suddenly empty house, which had seemed so full only hours before.

So how would they spend this holiday? Neither Stella nor Toby had a driver’s license, (they had always had drivers) although their housemates did leave one car in the garage. Being older in age, both Stella and Toby had come to depend on their housemates more than either would admit to the other, or to anyone who should chance to inquire, for that matter.

Should they have something delivered? At least the deserting housemates had arranged for a cleaning service in their absence. Stella and Toby were accustomed to being waited on and catered to, as they had never known anything else.

In truth, they looked upon their housemates more as the help than fellow home dwellers. But now Stella and Toby missed them terribly. Or was it simply the services those two provided that they were missing? Someone had come in briefly yesterday and cleaned their bathroom. That same person also delivered the day’s mail and supplied food and drink in the silver bowls Stella and Toby preferred when dining in.

But now it was Thanksgiving Day and no one had come to visit them or to serve them. Food and drink were running low on this day of all days, when food and drink are supposed to be consumed in an abundance exceeding other more ordinary days. Where was a phone? Had the housemates taken both the phones with them? Of course they had! They were never without them.

Later in the day, both Stella and Toby heard voices at the front door. There was some commotion, but the door never opened. Watching unnoticed through a side window, Toby saw the cleaning lady from yesterday struggling with the key in the front door’s lock. Soon she was joined by a very large gentleman. Toby thought he recognized this man. “I must have seen him while watching football on TV,” Toby thought to himself. But without the uniform Toby couldn’t be sure.

Soon another woman joined the cleaning lady and the NFL linebacker on the front porch. She seemed to be the brains behind the operation, but since the linebacker had already pulled the metal door handle right off the door, and the key still refused to turn in the lock, there didn’t seem to be a solution short of doing more harm to the door in order to gain entrance into the house. (isn’t that called breaking and entering?)

As if on cue, another man showed up on the front porch, a state trooper. He didn’t arrest anyone however. There was some continued conversation, then the four quietly dispersed. Toby correctly surmised where they were all headed. Off to family feasts, no doubt. Their houses were probably full of food and drink and football and fun and family. It hardly seemed fair to Stella and Toby.

Toby shared this news with Stella as the two of them pondered their Thanksgiving Day predicament. The food from yesterday was finished, the water was running low, the bathroom was becoming intolerable. I cannot say for sure, but perhaps Stella and Toby spent this time plotting the demise of their housemates upon their return, or at the very least in planning effective revenge strategies to be executed while said housemates slept.

Stella and Toby may have contemplated turning their housemates in, not for their act of abandonment on a national holiday but because they were in defiance of orders not to travel and not to gather together with loved ones to celebrate this holiday. That’s why Stella and Toby had refrained from issuing invitations of their own for Thanksgiving. They didn’t want to be in violation of the six or less edict. Stella and Toby are nothing if not law abiding.

But as I said, I cannot say for certain how Stella and Toby spent those lonely Thanksgiving hours with their food supply depleted and their cleaning lady unable to gain entrance into their home. What I do know is that on the following morning Toby witnessed another front porch discussion between the cleaning lady and another gentleman who also tried the key without success. When they left, Toby’s hopes for food went with them.

Shortly after that reappearance of the cleaning lady on the front porch however, there was a stranger causing quite a commotion at the front door, so much so that the door knob on the inside of the door fell to the floor leaving a hole where Toby could see clear through to the outside. Next thing Toby knew, the door was open, the stranger stepped in, dismantled the rest of the hardware on the inside of the door, put it in a pile and left, closing the now unlocked door behind him.

Stella was furious. The stranger had come and gone without so much as a “how are you doing? is there anything I can get you before I go?” Toby shared Stella’s sentiments. They were both definitely mystified by the stranger’s behavior which left them miffed and mad, exactly where they had started this holiday. They were spending Thanksgiving being anything but thankful.

Then the cleaning lady mysteriously reappeared, entering through the now unlocked front door, greeting them warmly, talking soothingly to them both. Stella couldn’t believe it. She would have none of it. She remained cool, watching from a distance and Toby followed her example. That is until he heard the sound of food falling into the previously empty silver dish and of fresh water filling the almost empty silver bowl. Then Toby had to make his move. After all, hunger usually wins out over anger.

Toby found there was more food than normal and the water tasted particularly cool and refreshing. The bathroom was cleaned to perfection, which made Stella ecstatic, though she would never let on nor admit to it. This cleaning lady was still a poor substitute for their absent housemates, housemates that are going to be in the “doghouse” when they return home. Stella and Toby will see to that!

What is my part in this story of Stella and Toby and their very distressing Thanksgiving holiday? I confess to you, dear readers, I am the cleaning lady in this saga of Thanksgiving woe. I am the one who could not get the key to turn in the lock. I am the one who enlisted the help of the linebacker who didn’t know his own strength. (well, maybe he did, but he did not mean to dismantle the door handle by sheer force, he pulled it off the door without even breaking a sweat, totally an accident)

I further confess to you that Stella and Toby are the cats who live across the street, who are in my care until their housemates’ return. I’m sure these two find me a poor substitute for their housemates’ care and company. (didn’t I just write about the shortcomings of things we substitute for the real thing in “the substitute” post?)

So now you know “the rest of the story” as Paul Harvey used to say. I was able to lock the front door from the inside and am now using a garage door opener left in the car to enter and exit the house where Stella and Toby reside. I am sure I am now off their Christmas list as I have in all probability been moved to their “hit” list. (which I hear is quite a lengthy list, you know how cats can be)

Still, I did recommend to Stella and Toby that they start practicing 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which states,

“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

with that in mind, Toby, Stella and I have declared every day Thanksgiving Day and we have made a pact to acknowledge God as the source of all good gifts, and furthermore we have promised to each day,

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)

sincerely, Grace Day

Of course on Thanksgiving Day, the logical topic is gratefulness. So it is both fitting and necessary that I reflect on gratitude on this national day set aside for us to give thanks. Many events, celebrations, holidays and gatherings have been cancelled this year courtesy of COVID. And now given the current situation here in the U.S. and around the world, perhaps a holiday whose focus is solely on being thankful seems to be sorely out of place. Or is it? Is this a holiday we want to skip because of what we have experienced this year?

Or could it be that true gratefulness is an attitude of the heart and therefore not impacted by my circumstances nor by my current situation? In this scenario, my ability to be thankful depends on the condition of my heart rather than on the condition of my surroundings.

Paul understood this and wrote about it in Philippians 4:11-13, sharing his secret in these words,

” . . . I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

Paul knew that God’s presence with him didn’t come and go, depending on his earthly circumstances. Rather it was constant, God with him in want and in plenty. Must be why Paul wrote these words to the Thessalonians,

“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

King David also knew the importance of a grateful heart. He wrote these words in Psalm 116:17,

“I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.”

Psalm 50:14 tells me to, “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,”

Why should my gratitude and thanksgiving be directed to God? because –

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

Why are we not aware that anything and everything good we have is from God? When we were a more agricultural society, this connection was more obvious, I think. Consider these words from Psalm 147:7-9,

“Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.”

We read in Acts 14:17, “Yet He has not left Himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

Full stomachs and full hearts, both food and joy in abundant supply (it says plenty of food and fills my heart/ your heart with joy) Yes, if we are going to spend a whole day in giving thanks, it would be helpful for us to be clear on, to be certain of just who it is that we are thanking. Psalm 145:13-16 answers this question clearly saying,

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

So many good gifts contained in those words! I am loved, I am upheld when I fall, I am lifted up when I am bowed down, I am fed and I am satisfied. Not a minimal sustenance, just enough to get by, but satisfied because He is the Creator of the universe and all it contains. He holds everything and everyone in His hands. No wonder that when He opens His hands every living thing is satisfied, including me.

Is that not more than enough reason to give God thanks, right there? Out of the abundance of the earth God provides for us. Not just food, but other things like energy as well. From coal, to oil, to natural gas, wind, solar and water power are all gifts from God’s creation. Farmers throughout history have felt this connection with God as the Giver of every good gift, maybe because they have lived it out as they receive their living from the land. And with that living, with their labor, they sustain the rest of us. We need to thank God for that and for them.

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were both clear about the reason for a national day of Thanksgiving when they issued their respective proclamations, the first on October 3rd, 1789 and the second on October 3rd, 1863. In the former Washington stated,

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor – and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

These words of Washington leave no doubt that Thanksgiving originated as a day of thanks and prayer to Almighty God. There was no confusion about who we were thanking. We were thanking the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Makes perfect sense. Then Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday with his proclamation on October 3rd, 1863.

That year, 1863, would rival 2020, I think as a year when perhaps people were not feeling particularly grateful. (they were in the middle of a Civil War, so not a lot of peace and prosperity going on at the moment for them) I guess we can relate a little?

In his proclamation, Lincoln lists some benefits such as peace with other nations, the wealth of the country from industry, the plough, the shuttle, the ship, the axe and the mines, a growing population and an increase of freedom. Then Lincoln says,

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, . . . to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

And so Thanksgiving became a national holiday, a day set aside for giving thanks, praise and prayer to Almighty God. It’s purpose was clear from its inception. Thanksgiving became an official, national holiday during the divided, uncertain time of the Civil War. It would seem that this current divided, uncertain time is not the time to abandon nor forsake this uniquely American tradition. We need God’s presence in our individual lives and in the life of our beloved country now more than ever.

Both Washington and Lincoln clearly acknowledged our nation’s legacy of looking to God for guidance and protection and giving Him the credit and the gratitude. This is not the year to abandon our Thanksgiving traditions. Gratitude has a power all its own to refocus our wayward vision back to the Giver of every good gift and to remind us just how rich we really are as children of the Almighty God of all creation.

I confess – an old hymn is playing in my head. You can’t hear it, dear readers, but I will share some of the words with you now.

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

Today, I will choose gratitude – I will count my blessings and thank my Heavenly Father for each and everyone of them.

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:21-22)

sincerely, Grace Day