Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:34-35
To be honest, I had all but forgotten about the Thanksgiving Eve service last week. Fortunately, that afternoon Jeff and Cheryl Thacker had graciously agreed to take me to Sioux Falls to run some errands that required the use of their van, and mentioned that they needed to get back to Luverne in time for rehearsal for the service that night. (I have to mention that I love being with the Thackers because wherever they go, there are opportunities to serve God to which they invariably respond, and that day was no exception. Somehow, we managed to respond to the God-opportunities, complete all my errands, enjoy a lovely lunch, and get back to Luverne in time for rehearsal.) Still, it wasn’t until I was in my kitchen preparing candied yams for the obligatory November family get-together the next day that it occurred to me to attend the church service.
In previous years, Rick and I were taking care of my dad and preparing for the arrival of “the family”, so hadn’t been able to attend the Thanksgiving Eve service, so I didn’t know what to expect. I admit I rolled my eyes when I realized that the theme for the service was “being thankful for our families”. My own family relationships tend to be complicated and often disappointing, so I indulged in some good, old-fashioned self-pity as I watched the pictures of happy, “normal” families flash up on the screen. I couldn’t seem to get past feeling sorry for myself as I thought about facing the holiday season “alone”. <sigh>
But then Mike delivered a message that spoke to everyone – even people like me, who find it easier to be grateful for our family members when they are 200 miles away. I left the service with the satisfying awareness that I have a very large and loving faith family who care about me despite my quirks and eccentricities. As if on cue, Frances Veldkamp approached me as I was heading for the door, and we chatted about settling into our respective new homes. Afterward, as I drove to the grocery store for some last-minute purchases, I found myself thinking about all the kindness, warmth, and love Rick and I have received from our ARC family over the past few years, and I thanked God for leading us into such a loving fellowship of believers. Not long after I walked into Glen’s I encountered Darrel and LaDonna VanAartsen in the dairy section. They took a few minutes to chat, reminiscing about the retreat-planning meeting Rick and I had hosted just over a year ago. I bumped into several other ARC members as I browsed the canned vegetables and the frozen foods. As I turned the corner of another aisle, Codie Zeutenhorst called out to me from his place in line at the cashier, asking if I had any more painting that needed to be done, offering to lend a hand. As I was leaving the store, Dave Hup was just arriving to get the cat food he’d forgotten earlier, and we had a chat about my new house (he was the realtor representing the sellers).
As I drove out of the parking lot, I realized that I’d just attended a delightful “family reunion” right there in the grocery store! I felt a greater sense of love and acceptance in that few minutes than I had at many obligatory family gatherings over the years. In fact, as I reflected on my day, I was amazed at how thankful I am for my faith family and for how wonderful it feels that even a “square peg” like me can “fit in” to a round hole – if the opening is wide enough. Thank you, ARC family, for opening your hearts to me. Thank you for helping me celebrate a heartfelt Thanksgiving!
Joy Dawson