Thanksgiving 2013

My thanksgiving experience this year was one of awareness, to be honest. It all goes back to the beginning of November, when I counted ahead and realized that with the way things were going in my work schedule -- working every other Thursday, mainly -- that I would probably be scheduled to work on Thanksgiving. My shift is 3-11pm. I didn't request off, thinking I wouldn't be missing out on much. My family wasn't doing the whole thanksgiving shebang this year, and my mom was visiting her parents. . . halfway across the world. I didn't think it'd be a big deal. Holiday pay and free ham from my work was compensation, and I accepted it with ease (kind of).

So then I drove straight from my parents' home to work ~ 45 minutes. 

See that lonely stretch of road? Quite depressing to drive to work knowing that most people have the day off… giving thanks.

I began thinking, what is thanksgiving, anyway? An American holiday where we stuff ourselves with amazing food - namely, sweet potato casserole, green beans, turkey, mashed potatoes, etc. and get together with family. {I'm not even going to touch on the Black Friday mess.} But the fact that we have a day off (usually) and a major holiday for it - that's quite a feat. We're supposed to be thankful, but in context, when people are usually thankful - it is TOWARD someone specifically. When we say "thanks" or send thank-you notes, etc. it isn't simply for saying thanks. It's to say thanks to somebody.

I recalled a verse - Colossians 1:12. 

"Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints in the light."

This led me to a wonderful verse about thanksgiving - one of my favorites:

Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Isn't that such GREAT wording? I became so inspired and I felt my spirit was renewed. I didn't feel very thankful that day, to be absolutely honest, but after this, I was ready. I didn't feel thankful, but I gave thanks anyway and that caused me to be thankful.

I started making myself think about all the things I really AM thankful for and needed to acknowledge and praise the Lord for: my job, being able to study abroad in the spring, being almost done with college, my wonderful family, my life, and most of all, that I knew Him, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would have none of this. 

Moving on. . .

I'm far from perfect, to say the least, and work was work. Actually, probably busier and crazier than normal. Exhausted from everything, and getting home at 11:45pm (you'll learn that in healthcare, you rarely get off work on time), I saw the kitchen light on. I immediately thought, Chere (my roommate) must've forgotten to turn it off. She was working 8pm-4am at Kohl's (the joys of Black Friday, which again, I shall NOT get into) and had left a few hours before.

I was a little hungry (this happens to me after work about 12% of the time) and for some reason, sat down at the kitchen table & debated what I should eat. My options being fruit snacks or tater tots. Then, it was like magic. 

I saw a little note, which you can see below.

[The pie wasn't on the table, of course. I set that out after seeing the note.]

Most of you would think, Aww, how sweet! And don't take me wrong, I did! But if you know me well enough, I absolutely despise all things pumpkin. I hear the word and I want to vomit. (Not physically, just in my mind). I really don't like the taste of pumpkin, the smell of pumpkin, or pumpkin anything. 

So my mind was thinking, Oh, that is so sweet! while at the same time, mentally gagging. I am very proud to say that the sweet side won, and my stomach was too hungry to argue.

For the first time in my 20 years, I willingly ate pumpkin pie.

Look at how delish it looks! (It took me a few bites to get used to it -- and then I could zone out the pumpkin part and simply focus on the yummy crust, haha).

All in all, I gained a new awareness of thanksgiving. :)