November 22, 2023

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. – Philippians 4:4

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and, I suppose, the official start to the holiday season.  The holidays are a mixed bag of emotions.  For some of us, they are filled with joy and merriment and a sense that the world isn’t so bad after all.  For others, like my former parishioner Bill whose wife Phyllis died shortly after I arrived in Buffalo, I would imagine this holiday season will be painful and empty.  Most of us, I think, fall somewhere in the middle.

This can be a very joyful and blessed time, but it can also be the polar opposite, I get that.  So it can be difficult for some people to hear the above words and find a way to rejoice always.

I am not a psychologist, nor do I pretend to offer Pollyanna advice to people to “just cheer up.”  But it does seem to me that being able to find something worth rejoicing, or being thankful for, helps.

Here are some things for which I am thankful, even if they came in difficult times.

I am thankful that a parishioner forwarded Saint Luke’s profile to me, even though I was not currently seeking a new call.

I am thankful that the Search Committee and I saw in each other the possibility of a good relationship.

I am thankful my wife supports me in this ministry.

I am thankful for tow trucks.

I am thankful for local garages that were able to offer immediate assistance.

I am thankful for the hospitality of a certain car dealer in Pierre.

I am thankful that my wife will soon be here.

I am thankful that our friend Pol was willing to make the drive to Buffalo with her so she wouldn’t have to travel alone.

I am thankful for the hospitality of new parishioners in this in-between stage.

I am thankful for the motel manager who gave me a room key even though she was leaving town.

Life is not always smooth sailing and often comes with obstacles (he said as he sat for 3+ hours on the side of the Ohio Turnpike, and again as he sat at the Vivian Rest Stop in South Dakota).  But in all of life’s twists and turns, in all of its bumps and obstacles and bruises, I am convinced that there are always things for which we can be thankful if we are willing to look for them.

May you have a joyous Thanksgiving; and more than that, may you find times and places to be thankful in the midst of chaos so that you can rejoice in the Lord always.