Thankfulness for Today, Trust for Tomorrow

Live as long as I have and you’ll gather quite a few Thanksgivings to reflect upon. This photo was taken on Thanksgiving Day, 1989—the first year we spent in what we believed would be our forever home.

Tom, dressed in his wedding tuxedo of all things, is carrying in the turkey from the old outdoor oven my grandmother gave us.

And yes, he’s also on the phone. That phone line was our tether to a livelihood—constant, necessary, even on Thanksgiving.

Selling apples meant the holidays were hectic. Deliveries had to be perfectly timed for store sales, and that afternoon Tom was making last-minute changes for apples that had just arrived in Tennessee.

But look at his smile—the ease with which he talked, balanced a turkey, and somehow kept his tuxedo spotless.

That year held other gifts too. Mom came to spend Thanksgiving with us, and I was pregnant. A new home, Mom’s visit, and the quiet hope of a baby arriving in the coming year—so much to be thankful for.


But there was something else I had brought to the table: my need to control as much of the future as I could. It came at a high cost—I lost the contentment that was right there in front of me. And it often robbed me of my gratitude for what I already had.

Knowing me so well, Mom looked intently at me across the table, and said, “Why don’t you just enjoy this time, and relax about what’s next?” 

She was right. The future could wait. I chose to be present with those around me. 

Over time I learned that control wasn’t worth its price, and thankfulness isn’t meant to be reserved for a holiday. It’s a way of living.

Now, as I gaze at those old photos, I see it clearly: resting in the moment God has given me is the truest way to be thankful. And trusting God with the future is the surest way to find peace.


“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1



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