Thought for the Week

November 29, 2025

            It was the week of Thanksgiving, and I was in second grade.  I was excited.  I looked forward to a meal of stuffing, olives, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.  My sister and I perused through the TV Guide to find the Thanksgiving specials.  Our favorite, was “The Mouse on the Mayflower.” We wrote down the TV channel and time so we wouldn’t forget. On our calendar, we checked off the days until Thanksgiving.

Then it happened.  The day before Thanksgiving I came home from school and didn’t feel very good.  There was this horrible itch on my back, that wouldn’t go away.  My mom called a friend of ours, who was a nurse.  She confirmed the ominous truth.  I had the chicken pox.  

By the next morning, I looked like I had Rice Krispies all over me.  I had a fever and I felt achy all over.  I cuddled on the couch with my pillow and blanket while my family prepared Thanksgiving dinner. I felt awful and tired.  I asked everybody to wake me up when “The Mouse and the Mayflower” was on.   That was the last thing I remembered.

When I awoke, the Thanksgiving meal was over.  So was “The Mouse and the Mayflower.” Thanksgiving had come and gone and I had missed it!  I was devastated. Fortunately, there was plenty of food leftover so I had my own Thanksgiving meal, by myself, with my pillow and blanket. 

I was too young to understand that true Thanksgiving is not just a day or a meal, or even who you spend it with, rather it is thankfulness to God because He is good and He shares that goodness and love with us every day.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1

“Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

During this Thanksgiving season, take time to thank God, not just for the things He does, but for who He is.

Happy Thanksgiving,

--Tracy