Happy Thanksgiving

To all our US friends, Carol and I send enthusiastic Thanksgiving Greetings. From many years of experiencing Thanksgiving with many of you, we know the joy of family and friends uniting for the sheer pleasure of remembering good things together. Of course, mouth-wateringly choice food piled up helps stoke up celebration, but it's the being together that is so special.

For several years after returning to the UK we replicated Thanksgiving, inviting good friends to our decorated table, complete with model Pilgrim Father and assorted figures (including a turkey), plus seasonal napkins. Such annual fun. Unfortunately, we shall miss this year owing to Carol's poor health but we have enough past experiences in the memory bank to give us good cheer today.

And to cheer me up, one of my former students sent me a surprise email. Surprise because I have not heard from him since I left the States several years ago. He is now a pastor in Washington State and he told me that this year's Thanksgiving triggered a desire to thank me for my time with him as teacher, mentor,  overseer of his internship and encourager in his first pastorate.  In particular he recalled how he and his wife hesitated about inviting us to a farewell meal when Carol and I were busy packing up to leave the country. Apparently they doubted whether we could spare time for them.  Of course we could! Yes we were physically and emotionally near exhaustion as we contemplated our major move, yet I recall vividly my gratitude and the humbling experience of seeing their desire to meet with us.  What a surprise dollop of thankfulness to hear from him again.  I hope it triggers me to some spontaneous thanksgiving today .