The Most Memorable Thanksgiving
Accept one another, then, just a Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7
Sometimes there are stories that just have to get told and this is one of them! I am guessing that it was about 2008 or2009 when I was invited for Thanksgiving dinner at some friends from church. I did not ask who was coming because it really didn’t matter to me. We were all to bring a dish to pass. I even brought my mom and little dog, Mr. Grumbles, whom they loved dearly.
Upon arriving I helped everyone out and got my hot dishes and in we went. I opened the door and stopped. Inside was a wild assortment of people. Yes, Mo Haner was speechless. Bill and Ma Lou introduced us to all the other guests which included homeless people, a couple ladies of the night, some recently released from jail, some headed for jail and several other very unique people. After putting on my stoic social face (and whispering to my gapping Mom, “We aren’t staying long!”) I went to the kitchen to help Ma Lou.
With great care, I asked Ma, “Who are all these strange people?” Her response was priceless: “They all need somewhere to call home today.” My mother’s question was a bit more entertaining when she inquired, “Do you even know these people?” Ma told us that many of them she hadn’t met but knew of their needs and that was all that mattered to her. Bill went and gathered them up and brought them.
After letting Mr. G out in the yard to do his business, we all sat down to eat the bountiful Thanksgiving feast. By this point, Mr. G had crawled under the table and settled where he hoped the best scraps might fall. We said grace and began eating. Simultaneously, everyone began to look up and down the long table. Finally, one dared to ask, “What is that terrible smell?” I looked under that table and there was my stinky little dog who had rolled in some horrific smelling gift left by a sick critter in the back yard.
He realized that he was getting the wrong kind of attention and slunk back under the tables. We had to dismantle the seating arrangement to get him out and then I had to scrub him in the bathtub while my plate of food got cold. The smell lingered so they opened the windows. Even Lysol did not mask this odor!
I bathed him and came out in time for pie. After helping with the clean-up, we said our good-byes and left (with left-overs). But not before I spoke to each person. It was obvious that Ma Lou and Bill had shown them the meaning of love! I will forever remember the looks on their faces.
Merciful God, thank You for perfecting our vision and for our memory to recall those life-lesson moments. AMEN.