Thanksgiving Day (in the USA)

My grandparents had seven children, and after the death of our grandpa, our grandmother opted to celebrate each of the major holidays with one of her children and their family. It was at our house that she came for Thanksgiving Day. That made Thanksgiving a very special event, one we looked forward to all year round. What made Grandma special was that she was blind, courageously so, a condition that would last until the final 20 years of her life.

The pleasure of having her with us on Thanksgiving Day is something one never forgets. But the joy of her presence was also marked by the reality of her disability and its consequences. In life, it often happens that joy is tinged with sadness, and that was the case. The joy of her being with us had its painful side. I remember as a child watching her at the table. Between the plate and her mouth, the food would sometimes drop off her fork, and, blind, she did not see that until the empty fork reached her mouth. I felt sad as I watched, but she quietly and patiently remedied the problem with the following mouthful.

Perhaps such a mixture of joy and sadness can also be intertwined as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. The joy and gratitude of our hearts for the abundant gifts of God in our lives deserve our prayerful expression. But the knowledge that others will never see food reach their mouths because of the blindness of our nation, and others, should touch us as well. How can we handle these multiple feelings: joy, gratitude, dismay, and sadness?

In prayer, we present our confused thoughts of gratitude and sadness to God, transform them into petition and hope for a better world. We rejoice in His infinite love and remember Psalm 34, which reads: “God is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” He embraces the needy with His strength.

Prayer

Bountiful God, generation upon generation has offered you praise for the rich harvest we have received at Your hands. Bless us and this food which we share with grateful hearts. Continue to make the land fruitful and let our love for you be seen in our pursuit of peace and justice and in our generous response to those in need. Praise and glory to You, Lord God, now and forever. Amen.