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Thankful
Thornton Wilder tells the fictional story of George Webb and Emily Gibbs in the play, Our Town. They grew up together in Grover’s Corner, fell in love and married. Emily dies and is granted a wish to return as an invisible guest to experience one day of her previous life. She chooses the cherished occasion of one of her childhood birthdays. As the day progresses, Emily is deeply saddened by people’s distractions and inattentiveness to each other. The opportunity to return for one more precious day of life becomes a painful reminder of what so many miss as we fail to live each moment. Her words as she leaves the day are prophetic for this Thanksgiving season. “It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another anymore. Do any human beings ever realize life while they have it--every, every minute?” I am looking forward to lingering over Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends this week--to take time to savor God’s best gifts of all, the gift of each other. I am celebrating our new granddaughter Ellie and the gift of a new daughter-in-law Stacy. Carolyn and I still cannot believe the grace that God has demonstrated toward us in allowing us the privilege to serve with these incredible people of God at Ginghamsburg for the last 30 years. I will also thank God this week for the sacrificial commitment made by so many for the lives of the poorest of the poor in Darfur. Life is an incredible gift that finds fulfillment in Jesus and joy in serving others. At the close of the play, the narrator, while walking through the cemetery, says, “Now there are some things we all know, but we don’t take them out and look at them very often. And it ain’t houses and names, and it ain’t earth and the stars. The greatest people that ever lived have been telling us that for years, yet you’d be surprised how people are always losing hold of it.” Don’t lose hold--be thankful!
God bless…
Posted By: Pastor Mike Slaughter on Nov 25, 2009 12:00PM
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I love that picture! Ellie is such a little peanut! :) Thanks for the reminder to be thankful as it's easy to get caught up in the day to day grind. I wish we could be celebrating with you all tomorrow, but am looking forward to time at christmas. I'm thankful to have been blessed with such a wonderful family, and parents who serve God all the time and lead by example. I love you!! Let's skype tomorrow! :)
Posted By: Kristen on Nov 25, 2009 06:14PM
I love that picture! Ellie is such a little peanut! :) Thanks for the reminder to be thankful as it's easy to get caught up in the day to day grind. I wish we could be celebrating with you all tomorrow, but am looking forward to time at christmas. I'm thankful to have been blessed with such a wonderful family, and parents who serve God all the time and lead by example. I love you!! Let's skype tomorrow! :)
Posted By: Kristen on Nov 25, 2009 06:17PM
I didn't think my son would be home for Thanksgiving (Army training) and it being a year since my daddy's passing, and my mom wanting to get away, back in July it was decided I would take mama to Savannah for the holiday. I flew to Atlanta to pick up my mom on Wednesday and I was hoping for a quiet flight but rather I sat next to a little girl named Kelly from Valdosta who flew to Dayton to bury her grandfather who just passed away from Pancreatic Cancer (same cancer as my daddy had) who they buried the weekend before (same weekend a year ago that daddys was buried) and she said she had been praying that God would give her someone to talk to. She didn't really like flying and she wanted to talk. We ended up talking and we cried together off and on and held hands (and I'm not naturally a warm person either) and just talked. Her grandfather and my father didn't know each other but had a lot in common, some things good, such as their love of fishing and some not so good such as they both went misdiagnosed for the first 3 months. But the biggest thing that shocked me, was she spoke about was in his final months, how her grandfather would wave his arms when he slept and told his loved ones he saw people and they were all waving at him, motioning at him to come. Telling him it was time. It was exactly, exactly what my daddy had experienced. It makes my hair stand up to think about it. She thanked me and we hugged but I should have thanked her, there was an eerie comfort in it all. I'm thankful for so much. For my son, my family, godly friends, inspiration of others and for the way God has of blessing me, when I'm not looking for it and when I'm not even open for it. What a wonderful experience to start this Thanksgiving holiday. What a wonderful time of reassurance and comfort. Thanks Carolyn and Mike for your leadership, thank you GUM for being open and willing to follow and allowing me to witness it all. Thank you Lord for all.
Posted By: Suzanne on Nov 28, 2009 09:10AM
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