What I really wanted:
I absolutely LOVE Thanksgiving. It's by far my most favorite holiday of the year. I spent way too much time on Pinterest looking for the perfect table setting, knowing full well that our table seats four at the most and I'm very limited on how to decorate a small bar. But I try. I have a "special" cookbook that is home to many of my mother's tried and true recipes; it also contains our family favorites that no Thanksgiving meal would be complete without. The cookbook is part of my Thanksgiving ritual/tradition; it contains so much more than just recipes; it contains stories told at every special meal; it contains my favorite memories. I begin early in the month planning what we'll have; somehow I keep forgetting that the menu rarely changes. It's really more about tradition than anything else. For example, we have olives because my momma always had olives; they must be served from my momma's chipped glass olive plate. (She considered olives to be a rare treat, and Thanksgiving was the only time they made an appearance on her table.) When we have Lois' coleslaw, we have to tell the story about the time she accidentally reached for the Clorox instead of the vinegar; how we hated to see that whole bowl full of goodness dumped down the disposal. And we have to have Pink Stuff, even though up until this year, I am the only one who will eat it. (I am happy to announce that my precious grandson loves it too!)
So here's the minimum of what we have to have:
(Strong penalties imposed with any deviations to this menu.)
Thanksgiving Menu:
Turkey / Dressing
(My impossible-to-please dad even liked my dressing.)
Something Green
(Usually broccoli salad or Lois' coleslaw, but this can vary. Sometimes we throw caution to the wind and have brussel sprouts.)
Something Starchy
(Twice baked potatoes or my world famous mac & cheese)
Something Fried
(It always has to be fried corn. Note: This does not count as something starchy. It's MY rule.)
Pink Stuff
Rolls
(Usually store-bought Martha Harp rolls; if the planets are lined up just right, rolls can be homemade.)
Olives
Chex Mix (non-negotiable) and Sausage Balls
Apple Cake & Pumpkin Squares
But then here is the reality of this year's Thanksgiving:
No fancy Pinterest table settings. The Cool Whip bowl is proudly displayed as if it were fine china. Paper plates front and center. The mac and cheese was served right out of the pot. I tried to wing it on the broccoli salad and missed the mark; if I had only read the recipe more closely, it would have been perfect. But I thought I could do it my way.
* * * * * * * * * *
I've been reading in the books of Exodus and Leviticus; I am so grateful that I live in a time that we don't have to offer up a burnt sacrifice. (Some might describe this year's turkey as a burnt sacrifice.) But what I take away from all those rules and regulations is that if the Children of Israel would follow those directions, which were given in great detail (kind of like a recipe), then they had nothing to worry about. Every single detail was laid out for them; a cookbook for beginners. Their shoes never wore out in all the years they were in the wilderness. Their meals were provided by God himself in the form of manna and doves. God acted as their GPS and directed them by a cloud. Their lives could have been so much better had they just followed the directions.
While we no longer have to offer up sacrifices (because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice), we still have rules and regulations that we should follow. All of this is clearly laid out in God's Word. When we deviate and think we've found a better way, we never end up with the best results. But yet we wonder why. It's not always easy to know God's will for our lives; even something as seemingly simple as writing a blog can be a huge roadblock if God is not involved in every detail. We compare ourselves to others and feel as if we've somehow missed the mark. (Pinterest vs reality.)
But how completely wonderful that the God that we serve has a specific no-fail plan just for us, written down in the form of a love letter to guide us through this maze we call life! We just have to follow those directions.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
(Yes, I laid the cookbook on the floor to get this picture. Please don't judge.
My photography skills rank right up there with my technology skills.)