Thanksgiving Prep
It’s been a crazy few weeks y’all! Our 17 yr old daughter’s Jeep has been broke down. No big deal, right?!? Well, considering she and our 15 yr old play sports, go to youth group, and everything in between – I’ve returned to taxi mom. Oh, and did I mention Alex (the 17 yr old) takes dual credit classes off campus. It’s irony at it’s best… Or the Lord keeping my heart in check… yeah, I’m thinking it’s probably that one. Why you ask? Because I’ve been wanting to write about preparing your heart first before preparing your home and food for Thanksgiving Day!
I love having friends and family into our home. I love the conversation, hugs, and the good food. A family gathering at our home is sure to include a memory lane strolled down, a couple of good stories, and precious little ones with funny antics. I enjoy planning our menu, the grocery shopping, and time in the kitchen with my girls. With all the doing though we sometimes forget or get too busy to think about the heart behind it all. Let me back-up a little. I remember 12 years or so ago preparing to have people in our home for a holiday party. I wanted to have everything perfect. For some strange reason that included having all the laundry caught up, the whole house cleaned, and all the children dressed to holiday perfection. It was the first home we had ever bought, and it had white tile throughout. WHITE TILE y’all! The kitchen, the Living room, the hallway, and the bathrooms all were white tile. Along with the laundry needing to be completely done every single white tile had to be cleaned. I wore myself out that year. And, guess what? It rained. And, it only takes one person walking in your home on white tile after it rains for it to not look white anymore. Needless to say, I had a lot of cleaning up to do after that party.
Fast forward a couple of years and to another party. My Alex, who was new on her journey of being a follower of Jesus, was watching me prepare once again to host a gathering in our home. I can’t remember exactly what it was that I was doing at that moment (probably cleaning!), when she gently said, “Momma, you are being Martha today and not Mary.” STOPPED in my tracks. Stopped still and swallowing the truth coming from my precious child. I thought I had learned better, I thought I had “let go” of needing to have it all done. Truth be told, maybe I had, but had I focused as much on preparing my heart as my home?
Nowadays, I still prefer my home be clean and straight, but I don’t wig-out near as much when it’s not. A prayer I have for my home is:
“All who enter will feel welcomed, all who enter will feel at home, and all who enter will feel the presence of the Lord.”
A heart being in check to Him makes all the difference. To know the peace, the joy of being His. Truly to want to pour ourselves out in a heart manner – not just a physical manner. To walk out “giving thanks in all things.”
In every situation [no matter the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMP
It is my prayer that we all prepare our heart so we can prepare our home and food with joy and thanksgiving, fully enjoying the moments we have with loved ones this Thanksgiving Day.
From my heart to your home,
Jolé
*The story of Mary and Martha can be found in Luke 10:38-42
