With Thanksgiving two days away, many plans are being made and the work has begun. As I make my grocery list and prepare for time with family I got to thinking about leftovers. Crazy I know!! Really who goes into one of the biggest feasts of the year thinking about leftovers?
I think a conversation with my grandma triggered it...you see the other day she was sharing with me how she didn't know if she'd be hosting Thanksgiving this year. She's 80, so we all understand! Then she shared the deciding factor - one of her great-granddaughters had told her mom, "I'm coming home for Thanksgiving - I don't want to miss G'ma B's dinner!" Grandma was so touched, you see in her mind her cooking is no big deal, but to Kylie it was special.
As I thought about this - my Grandma's reaction and Kylie's desire, I smiled, but then took things a step deeper. My Grandma would have graciously made up a plate to send home with Kylie's family so she could be with her boyfriend, but she didn't want the leftovers. They didn't excite her. That's not what she's been looking forward to over the last few weeks every time she eats another college meal.
While my mind processed this, God spoke to my heart, "Jill, your husband and kids don't desire or deserve leftovers either." Wow, so true! But God didn't stop there; He went on to say, "And neither do I." Wow, that hurts, but it's a fact. And sometimes the truth hurts.
The truth is I have been loving and serving my family and my Father, but honestly sometimes it's been more of a have to than able to. And others it's after my to-do list is done. In my last post I wrote about cutting back, which is necessary if I don't want to keep serving my family leftovers.
Once again my grandma serves as a wonderful example for me - she is excited about serving up a feast for her family. She is looking forward to the prep work and I know she will do it with joy in her heart. She will treasure the time she shares with the 40+ family members on Thursday. Her focus will be the feast, not the leftovers.
In the days ahead, I pray that will be my focus as well! I know my husband, children and especially my Lord will be appreciative of it and just like my grandma, I will be blessed because of it!
2 comments:
:) This seems to be a running theme for me...one of having to be reminded what needs to come FIRST...who gets the FEAST! God and my family.
Thanks for the reminder. :)
Hope you and your family have a fabulous Thanksgiving. So thankful to have met you in the great big world of blogging!
Love,
K
What a great example of how I should view my work for God - with pure JOY in every part of the "feast" He has for me to do (even the clean-up)!!! It can be so easy to become so consumed with our self-made "to-do" lists and completely miss what God has set before us! When I let my own plans hinder my time and devotion to God alone, I know that these same blessings and opportunities can become burdens in my life that rob me of that joy.
Thank you for the reminder, Jill, to realign my priorities with God's so that I am truly walking in the steps that He has for me to walk in right now!
"Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations
I will be exalted in the earth!"
~Psalm 46:10
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