A Belated Non-Thanksgiving Post

As I understand the rules of blodgom, I am required to write something about Thanksgiving today. Yes, I’m a week late. But it was either this or come up with a Pearl Harbor Day post. And who wants to talk about war when we can talk turkey? Like I said, I’m supposed to write something Thanksgiving-ish, perhaps a long list of the things and people I’m thankful for. Or maybe a short history lesson on the Pilgrim’s voyage that draws a clever parallel to our own spiritual voyage. I always get hung up on the part about the football game. Why didn’t Boston ever name a team the Plymouth Pilgrims? Then we’d have a real tradition as they faced off against Washington every year…well, until the Redskins change their name to something more politically correct, and since all the good animal names are taken, we’d end up with the traditional kick-off of the Pilgrims vs. the Squirrels or something less than macho sounding…

I digress…

I’m not going to do any of that stuff. Don’t worry, neither am I going to join the liberal fundamentalists who must insist that everything with the word “American” and\or “Tradition” in it must be inherently evil and that we should spend tomorrow turning our homes over to the Cherokees and renouncing the book of Matthew as hatespeech.

Nope. Not gonna do that, either. Instead, I’m gonna vent.

I know better than to question God, but I will. I mean, some things just don’t jive. Like mosquitos and the impossible-to-remove shrink wrap on CDs (I know…what’s a CD? Go ask an old-timer). So, as part of my first annual Thanksgiving-Pearl Harbor Day Venting, I just have to ask the Almighty a few questions that have been flitting about my semi-occupied skull. Things like…

Why, God, is it that people who work their butts off to do the right thing often fail miserably? Even after they’ve read every book written by both Zig Ziglar and Seth Godin. I have friends who still struggle to put a chicken breast on the table, let alone a 20 lb. Butterball complete with little red popper-upper thingy to let you know when it’s done.

Why are there people out there who spend every waking hour trying to destroy the reputation of good people? Yes, I know American politics is a contact sport, but it doesn’t end there. We have passed this wondrous mercy-is-for-the-weak mentality onto our children, who can spout venomous lies as well as any supermarket tabloid.

Speaking of politics…why do 99% of our “leaders” turn to broad generalizations of the citizens who oppose their views? Believing something is wrong doesn’t mean you hate the people doing it. Never understood people who liked those ugly hairless cats, but I’m sure they’re very nice folks otherwise.

Why are people allowed to give one-star ratings on Amazon because the delivery was late?

Why do we make excuses for kids who knock innocent bystanders over the head?

Why don’t we just stop putting all the emphasis on spending money every Christmas?

Why don’t we say No more often to our kids and Yes more often to the charities who come to our door?

Why do people who don’t believe in God find it necessary to save me?

I should probably stop there. The truth is, none of this is unique to our generation. Jesus came here 2000 years ago for a good reason. Those people were screwed up. And they didn’t even have Democrats or Republicans to help. This generation is no better. Yet, every day, I see love and compassion pouring out of complete strangers. A guy saves a dog. A kid returns a lost wallet. A Pope embraces a disfigured man.

This is what Jesus did for us–plop himself down into the mud, pull us to Him, and dirty himself with our shame. When we do the same for those “beneath” us–the slanderer, the politician, the troubled kids, our own kids, the atheists–then we’ve had a taste of what it means to love as Jesus loves.

When we’ve had nothing to be thankful for, yet give what little we have to someone undeserving, then we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving. And we can do that every day.

I’m thankful for anyone who reads my posts (and my 7th grade English teacher who read my wearwolf story to the entire class). Have a happy and blessed belated Thanksgiving.

Ron

I am a husband, dad, Christian, and writer. Not necessarily in that order. It took me thirty years to turn my life over to my Redeemer. It's taken another ten to figure out what it is He has in store for me. My first novel, Now I Knew You, will be released in March, 2015. I pray that God will allow me to write many more before calling me home.

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