Dear Friends,
Wednesday evening a gruesome green Zombie, a black hatted Witch, and a jeweled Princess came knocking at our door. Each under age 8. Each looking for some sugar coated something. Each innocent pretender masking their reality. But each bringing something of worth to our lives.
Thanksgiving. The Mayflower and its 100 Pilgrim passengers arrived in 1620 on the shores of Plymouth, Mass. In less than a year, half the colonists had died from disease and malnutrition. In the winter of 1621, a feast with 90 invited Wampanoag Indian guests was held to celebrate the good harvest and God’s “tender care.” Giving thanks! Really? In the midst of hardship? Did they know something about seeing beyond the mask of hardship and privation in their story?
For this season of our lives, uncertainties can abound. A host of uninvited intruders can come knocking at our door… loss of loved ones, loss of independence, loss of resources, loss of significance, loss of place, loss of youth, loss of security, etc.
But these things come with a mask. Just as the beauty and life of the children who came knocking at our door was masked, so can God’s goodness and care for us be masked by the above intruders that come knocking. So, give thanks… and you will see more clearly the grace and goodness of God in your story.
Happy Thanksgiving, unmasked.
~Wynn
“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18