A Thanksgiving To Remember

One of the joys of having lived in several places is the friends we've made who have become very dear. 

This year we had a dear friend from Kentucky join us for Thanksgiving, and it has been one like no other.

Our friend, affectionally known as Aunt D., was set to arrive Wednesday evening. She got a late start, and then had car trouble. She spent Wednesday night in southern Illinois. We planned that early on Thanksgiving Day she would drop her car off at a garage in southern Illinois and I would meet her and bring her to our house. 

I arose early on Thanksgiving morning to go and pick her up. I arrived at the garage around 8:15 am. D. texted, the car was going slower than at first. She would be a little later. 

Waiting, I made a Thanksgiving call to an uncle. While talking to him, the phone rang. I didn’t answer. Then I heard sirens. I said good bye to my uncle and tried to call D. No answer... 4 different attempts. I had a gut feeling to follow the sirens. Then D.'s daughter, KL, called. She said her mom’s car was on fire. 

I drove to the free way entrance/exit. There were a half-dozen fire vehicles. A blackened car, and D. was standing with a couple of other angels in the median of the road. 

A mile away from the garage her car caught fire. The firemen did a great job in putting it out. A lot of her things in the car were salvaged.  D. gave the firemen a pumpkin pie as a gift. She tried to give them some Ale-8-One, a ginger soda from KY, but they looked at the name and said, “Ma’am, we can’t take that.”
In an instant, this car that had been somewhat problematic, was gone in a fire. 

We loaded up D's things unaffected by water and smoke, most of the things in her car. We drove back to Missouri and were home by 12:30. 

It was nerve rattling!

It also reminded us of how much we have to be thankful for! For life, for friendship, for strangers who become angels, for firefighters and police. For all the good gifts of God. 

For the rest of the day, we feasted, we rested, we were just glad for the gift of being together. 

It has been a Thanksgiving to Remember.

A Prayer for Traveling

Tonight the sky was clear and crisp. I looked up into the sky and I saw airplanes - about 10 of them - at different places in the sky and heading in different directions. Those planes made me think about all the people traveling at this time of year; many of them  headed home for Christmas. Or in the words of the incredible radio personality Gary Burbank - home to see mamma n' them (Burbanak was on 700 WLW - Cincinnati - The Big One). 

The many travelers reminded me of the travel reflected in the story of Christ's birth. Mary traveld to see Elizabeth. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, to Egyp, and finally to Nazareth. The Magi traveled from a distant land to behold the King of the Jews. The Angels traveled to bring God's good news to Mary, Jospeh, Zaccharias, and the Shepherds. In the midst of all this travel God was giving great joy and comfort to the world.

If you're traveling this year, maybe to see mamma n' them, or maybe on some new adventure; 

May the God who watched over the travelers of Mary and Jospeh and all the others, watch over you. May great joy, and the wonderful surprise of the Holy One greet you.  

May you journey in the comfort of God as the world, your world, knows great sadness

May the journey change you in ways that bless the world, that bring good news.

May the journey take you, finally home, where you find the people of God, dwelling in sweet communion

And may the heart of Mary, a heart that treasures and ponders all these things, be found in you. 

Amen.