David Letterman said, "If I wanted to negotiate with terrorists, I'd go home for Thanksgiving!"
Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks to God for all with which we have been blessed. The reality is that we do overeat, and sometimes with people that do annoy us or push us to limits we don't want pushed. Jesus did say, or meant to say, "Where two or three are gathered; there's going to be trouble." And there usually is. But should there be? Many we have not seen for a long time, and their comments or ours sometimes makes others feel bad especially if we make a comment of appearance. "You sure have gotten big!" Parents will say to children; some kids are sensitive, even at a young age, about their appearance. Some may already have a weight issue and the "big" comment really says to them, "You're getting fatter!" The child sensitive about his/her height hears, "Woah! You sure are tall!" Not what they want to hear. Some well-meaning parent may jokingly say, "What's the matter, son? That wife of yours not feeding you anymore?" Do I even need to explain that one? And yes, you can reverse the roles in that last statement. "Well, there's snow on the roof now!" Yes, our hair does get grayer/whiter with age. The classic is, of course, to the single people, "Why aren't you married yet?" in whatever "clever" form they may think of with which to torture those who have not yet, or have chosen not to, marry. You may have your own list, but the key is this: Jesus said, "Where two or three are gather in my name, there will I be also." The best Thanksgiving is to invite Jesus to sit with us at the table and to thank Him in genuine ways for all that Jesus has blessed us.
If a comment hurts, re-read the title of this post. Pray. Count to ten. Walk around the block. Pray again. Take a deep breath. Pray some more! Then smile, love back with a nice comment about them, and carry on. Oh yeah, the shirts begin with what Winnie said, "Keep Calm and Carry On."
May it be so.
Happy Thanksgiving!
