Thanksgiving Traditions

WCC

WATERFORD COMMUNITY CHURCH - 11:00am SUNDAY WORSHIP

by: Brent Wood

11/23/2022

0

thanksgiving traditions

I grew up with what seems like a lot of Thanksgiving traditions.  Dinner was always at our house.  And my aunt and cousins always came over.  We'd have turkey and stuffing and sweet potatoes.  My family would eat the white meat.  My cousins would eat the dark meat.  I can't honestly remember if pumpkin pie was on the menu.  I was never a big fan, so it didn't matter one way or the other to me.

Everyone would eat too much, watch a little football, and then sprawl out wherever to take a little nap (actually a long nap if you were my aunt). And then someone would turn on the annual showing of The Sound of Music.  (Those were the days before the annual dog show.)

But before we did all those typical family tradition things we went to church for the annual Thanksgiving Day service - which was pretty much the same from year to year. We would sing a few Thanksgiving hymns, people would share testimonies, and my dad (who was the pastor) would sing some song taken from Psalm 24 that I never really understood, let alone understood its connection to Thanksgiving. But he liked to sing it. So it was a tradition.

As I approach another Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the memories, and for the traditions that seem to have cemented them in my mind. And I am thankful for parents who always made it a priority to give God thanks. Thanksgiving in my home was always a religious - and spiritual - holiday.

My Thanksgiving this year will look a little different from those of my childhood- yet be surprisingly the same. We'll gather around the table as a family. We'll still eat too much and maybe watch a little football. But instead of a nap, we'll probably take a walk. We'll also take a few minutes to talk about the things for which we are grateful.

 This year I want to be thankful for the little things, like ...

  • winter sunsets
  • the snow that sticks to the branches
  • kids who still like to come home
  • cameras that double as phones
  • the neighbor who leaves treats for the dog
  • the dog who thinks I am the greatest human ever
  • all the flavors and textures of food (except for mushrooms)
  • warm blankets
  • the library - and an endless supply of books
  • the Great British Bakeoff (actually, the Junior Bake Off)
  • comfortable shoes
  • new mercies every 24 hours
  • chocolate chip cookies
  • cheaper gas prices
  • the Bible app with all of its different translations
  • the people I work with 
  • family texts
  • indoor plumbing (seriously!)
  • a box of Papermate Inkjoy pens in my desk
  • a great county park just a few miles up the road
  • and all the great people of WCC!
What's on your "little things list of gratitude" this year?
Blog comments will be sent to the moderator

thanksgiving traditions

I grew up with what seems like a lot of Thanksgiving traditions.  Dinner was always at our house.  And my aunt and cousins always came over.  We'd have turkey and stuffing and sweet potatoes.  My family would eat the white meat.  My cousins would eat the dark meat.  I can't honestly remember if pumpkin pie was on the menu.  I was never a big fan, so it didn't matter one way or the other to me.

Everyone would eat too much, watch a little football, and then sprawl out wherever to take a little nap (actually a long nap if you were my aunt). And then someone would turn on the annual showing of The Sound of Music.  (Those were the days before the annual dog show.)

But before we did all those typical family tradition things we went to church for the annual Thanksgiving Day service - which was pretty much the same from year to year. We would sing a few Thanksgiving hymns, people would share testimonies, and my dad (who was the pastor) would sing some song taken from Psalm 24 that I never really understood, let alone understood its connection to Thanksgiving. But he liked to sing it. So it was a tradition.

As I approach another Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the memories, and for the traditions that seem to have cemented them in my mind. And I am thankful for parents who always made it a priority to give God thanks. Thanksgiving in my home was always a religious - and spiritual - holiday.

My Thanksgiving this year will look a little different from those of my childhood- yet be surprisingly the same. We'll gather around the table as a family. We'll still eat too much and maybe watch a little football. But instead of a nap, we'll probably take a walk. We'll also take a few minutes to talk about the things for which we are grateful.

 This year I want to be thankful for the little things, like ...

  • winter sunsets
  • the snow that sticks to the branches
  • kids who still like to come home
  • cameras that double as phones
  • the neighbor who leaves treats for the dog
  • the dog who thinks I am the greatest human ever
  • all the flavors and textures of food (except for mushrooms)
  • warm blankets
  • the library - and an endless supply of books
  • the Great British Bakeoff (actually, the Junior Bake Off)
  • comfortable shoes
  • new mercies every 24 hours
  • chocolate chip cookies
  • cheaper gas prices
  • the Bible app with all of its different translations
  • the people I work with 
  • family texts
  • indoor plumbing (seriously!)
  • a box of Papermate Inkjoy pens in my desk
  • a great county park just a few miles up the road
  • and all the great people of WCC!
What's on your "little things list of gratitude" this year?
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