Thanksgiving Musings

I love Thanksgiving.  It's the holiday that you just eat and laugh and sleep.  No worrying about the perfect present, no rushed "Christmas 500" (what I call the house to house travels over Christmas), just family, friends and food. 

The Three F's. 

This year, however, was just weird.  First off, Kip isn't here.  So one of the biggest Thanksgiving day lovers is in South Africa.  Of course, we always miss Laynie every single day, but it seems more intense at holidays.  She was such a bright little light, and everything she looked at, caused me to look at it through her pure, precious eyes, and it gave me new sight into things long taken for granted. 

One thing I take for granted is the health of my friends.  I expect all of my friends to live to be 100.  Gary Keck scared us earlier this year, with a heart attack, or heart something and aged us all about 10 years.  Then thanksgiving day, my phone rang and it was a fellow classmate, calling to tell me that one of our precious members, had died.   I sat in my chair, in shock.  We are only 50.  We aren't supposed to die yet.  Losing another classmate, Mark Gibson, early in 2010 from an aneurysm still resonates within me.  Facebook is a wonderful tool, that gives you the false sense of security that all is well in our world. 

What I remembered as I sat in shock on Thanksgiving, was that every single day we live is a gift.  All the people that we surround ourselves with, are gifts.  Life is a fleeting, passing thing, and the only thing that is important is loving God, loving others, and being the best person we can be. 

Life is a gift.

When I get too self important, too self involved, I take a step back from myself and look at the big picture.  If I were to die today, what imprint would I leave?  Would people say "Oh my cow, she was funny, she wrote the funniest status updates on facebook ever", or would they say  "She was God's right hand, and I know with utter certainty, she is sitting beside him right now, entertaining him.with all her stories."

That is my hope.   That is my hope for you.

Kermit was a Christian.  Kermit loved the Lord.  Kermit was the gentlest soul I know.  He was a quiet, funny guy.  But a stinker... right in the midst of chaos, Kermit would be sitting there smiling at you with dimples and looking like he was innocent as could be.  Someone described him as "Golden" on my page.  I like that.  Kermit was "Golden".

Best friends til the end.

Live life full out.  But live it for God, and it will be the most fulfilled you will ever be. 

Rest in peace, sweet friend...I will see you again.