top of page

Last Thanksgiving Day



Introduction


A new tradition emerged between my father and my family after my mother left for Heaven in 2004. He would journey our way once a year, every year. Without fail, he came and graced us with his presence. Most times it was to spend the Thanksgiving holiday period with us, sometimes it was during the Christmas season.


Pops was very comfortable here with us in our home. His stay was usually a two-week period. We all felt very comfortable with him here, he was an old pair of denim here in this home. Mealtimes were special, Cindy’s wonderful culinary delights so very pleased him. He would comfortably make the rounds in our home, finding different places to plop himself down, most times with a book in hand. He was as "at home” in my garage and Cindy’s kitchen as he was in his own. But he did have a special dwelling place in this home, his favorite chair.


In 2018, at the age of 98, he had already come and gone by the time Thanksgiving Day had arrived. Little did we know this would be his last Thanksgiving. We expected him to live forever with many more visits to come. But… this was his last, he never graced our home again. Now he lives in the presence of daily praise and thanksgiving.


This is my letter to him on this, his last earthly Thanksgiving Day.



 


This letter was written November 22, 2018.


The Empty Chair


It is good to give thanks to the Lord. Psalm 92:1



Good morning Pops,


Thanksgiving Day.


I am sitting here in my most favorite room admiring your beautiful book shelves in the library. Cindy’s painting of you in the room is reminding me your chair will be empty today as you are not with us. The children will miss you!



Coco is nestled in by my side. He has had his morning walk. Cold, crisp and glistening frost on the ground and roofs. Clear skies, the sun trying to peek over the empty tree tops. Saw several groupings of deer families seeking the beginnings of their Thanksgiving meal. Quite beautiful outside really.


Soon, Cindy will arise and I’ll put a match to the kindling in the fireplace. As the warmth of lively flames rises, we’ll sip our coffee, and as usual, talk about the day and children. I’ll most likely have some piano music picked out for us. Then the grand performance will start in the kitchen. Cindy has all her tools and ingredients already laid out and the recipe-scores ready to be read and performed. The symphony of culinary creation will commence. Monique is tasked with creating the scalloped potato masterpiece.


It will be just the four of us for the dinner celebration today. I plan on taking some extra time at the dinner table to read some prepared thoughts about these three, my most priceless human possessions. I hope I can express my incredibly deep thankfulness for each one of them. The magnitude of the blessing they are in my life cannot be fully communicated verbally. I hope they will know the depth and width of my love for them.


I write this knowing that there are countless other Christ followers who could only dream of writing these words about their own lives. But they can’t. For some reason, of which Father only knows, their present life experience is far different from what I have in my life at this present time. I am humbled by this fact. I only have one explanation as to why I am able to write such words and then there will still be endless questions as to “why me?”


GRACE. It’s the only conclusion to be found. Surely, my present station at this moment in life has nothing to do me. I am no better and no worse than anyone else. My only position is that of a redeemed lamb of the Shepherd. A sheep who was once lost, but now has been found. I am now a sheep who joyfully receives daily comfort and blessings from my Shepherd. His rod and staff comfort me each and every day. He leads beside still waters. My cup runneth over.


THANKFULNESS. A wonderful pasture place to dwell in. One of Cindy’s most favorite quotes comes from the now gone and wonderful Tim Hansel. “You will never know the height of joy till you have known the depth of sorrow.” I believe this to be true. Along the same line, I believe we can never quite know the height of thankfulness for what we have unless it can be juxtaposed to the reality of “not having.” So how do I “go there” when I am so accustomed to “having?” The familiarity of consistently “having” dulls our fundamental sense of thankfulness. When “having” (by grace only) is so predictably there, its familiarity breeds an attitude that does not properly recognize with deep thankfulness the bounty of Father’s gracious gifts and provisions.


“You will never know the height of joy till you have known the depth of sorrow.”

I could write pages of Father’s gifts to me, those palpably seen and those hidden in the unseen. They are innumerable. Many of which I cannot even know because they are too high for me to understand, yet they are there, they are mine.


There is only one way I know how to possibly enter into a proper attitude of thankfulness that is fitting and honoring of all that has been given to me. I need to ask the Holy Spirit to help me enter into that holy place of humility, blanketed with thankfulness.


“Oh, Holy Spirit, come. Spirit of wisdom, Truth and revelation come. By your grace take me to a place where I can touch with my mind and heart the agony of “having not” what I take so much for granted. Take me there so that my heart may cry out with deeply felt sincerity, a cry of thankfulness to my Father for the bounty He has given me in and through Christ, His Son. Holy Spirit take my desire to be thankful and present it to Father so that He may find pleasure in my offering of thanksgiving today.”


All is Grace.


Happy Thanksgiving Day Pops, miss you!!




Dad’s response:

Love you for your special comments, and yes, I miss my chair. But we have to believe that God knows best. I do enjoy my visits with your family very much and always look forward to spending time there.


Finished the Colson book that you gave me several years ago. God surely had a hand in his life.


Have a good weekend!!!


Dad




Your comments are welcome below!


Subscribe below to receive all new posts in your inbox.




82 views5 comments

Recent Posts

See All

5件のコメント

5つ星のうち0と評価されています。
まだ評価がありません

評価を追加
ゲスト
2022年11月24日

Steve, I’m sitting here in the early hours of this Thanksgiving morn enjoying the solitude, my first cuppa and reading this lovely letter to your father. I am overwhelmed with feelings of gratefulness this day for all the blessings in my life. Thank you my friend. Blessings beyond measure be your portion today — to you and your lovely family. Lynn

いいね!

ゲスト
2022年11月23日

This is beautiful, Steve. Your letters to your father are deep, meaningful, and evocative in every good way. I can picture my own father and I can picture what heaven will be like. Bless you, Cindy and the “kids”, your earthly treasures💕, this holiday season!

vicki c

いいね!
platosclosetspring
2022年11月23日
返信先

Thank you Vicki! Wishing you a wonderful celebration tomorrow!

いいね!

ゲスト
2022年11月23日

I suppose Thankfulness is key to filling those empty chairs in our life. Thanks for sharing

いいね!
platosclosetspring
2022年11月23日
返信先

Thank you Rodney! Gratitude will always fill our empty chairs, yes, I agree!

いいね!
bottom of page