The Joy of Rambling

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;

He chastens and hastens His will to make known;

the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.

Sing praises to His name, He forgets not His own.

As a worship leader in the church, I always lamented the lack of good Thanksgiving hymns and worship songs. Even the above hymn was not originally meant for the Thanksgiving holiday. Christmas gets all the glory. Thanksgiving seems to be just a passing stop on the way to Black Friday.

This year I am especially thankful to God for the life He’s given me in these days of retirement. I am preparing to serve dinner to friends we met 51/2 years ago after moving to South Carolina. In this short amount of time, they have become family. I had no idea we’d get a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and these people would become my lifeline. I owe many days of sanity to them. When I just can’t keep treading water one minute longer, they come along side and take my arms, gently leading me back to shallow waters. God knew. He always knew. 

I want to remember, to document, to print on my forehead, the goodness of God. I walked away from all that was familiar: my children, my closest friends, my home, my students, my church. All that I loved so dearly. I picked up and left to come to a foreign landscape and culture. And then we met people. We were welcomed into a loving church family. But outside of that, God gave us these extraordinary people. No one at home would have been able to handle Jim the way they have. No one. Their combined experiences, personalities, and just downright kindnesses have been everything to me. 

I am grateful to God today, for He always knows what I need, when I need it. 

This Thanksgiving, may my friends feel my gratitude and love, the overwhelming sense of thankfulness, and the peace that they so deserve. 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!