Thanksgiving Day. I am thankful that I slept well last night. I am thankful that the pain is not as bad in my heel. I am thankful that I have a great wife who loves me and cares for me in such tangible ways. I am thankful for God’s guidance and provision in my life.
At noontime, we went to the church for a thanksgiving dinner. Liz and I have hosted a dinner at the church for the past three years for fellow “nomads” and family-less people in the church. We usually have 15-20 people. This year we had 30. While Liz and the boys helped set things up, I sat in a reclining chair giving whatever instructions I could. I usually over-prepare for these kinds of events and worry about how well they will go. This year that wasn’t a concern. I was just thankful to be there. Surprisingly I think things went better too.
After everyone arrived (and I relayed my story a few more times), we sat down around the large u-shaped table. I read from Colossians 3:15-17, the verses that meant so much to me on the day of my surgery. The idea of thankfulness is mentioned in each of these verses. Then I asked everyone to introduce themselves and share at least one thing they were thankful for. I started by thanking God for my wife who continues to amaze me and humble me with her servant’s heart, her unconditional love, and her ability to get things done. What a partner to have in life.
It was awesome to hear each person share. We had young and old, single and married, southerners and northerners, black, brown, and white, immigrants and native-born Americans. The neatest thing was hearing the young kids share. They picked up on the procedure and shared just like the adults. My four year old son Joshua shared last, “Hi, my name is Joshua. And I am thankful to God that I am one of the Fosters.” That’s enough to make a father smile.
Three hours went by quickly. The food was great. The fellowship was better. Conversations flowed naturally. The kids went outside to play. The adults stayed inside and got to know each other better. I enjoyed the time but started to get a headache at about 3pm—the same time I had gotten a headache the day before. Not sure if it was the pain or the pain medication that made my head throb.
We got home around 4:30pm. I took a nap to get rid of my headache. I woke up around 6pm, ate some dinner, watched some football, and then went to bed.
