Thanksgiving and the Detroit Lions

Fifty-six years of Thanksgiving celebrations and many of them included the obligatory torture of watching the Detroit Lion's "play" football. I just Googled the Lion's Thanksgiving day record and got a somewhat dated but revealing stat. It said: From 1934 to 2007 the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day record stands at 33-33-2. In other words they've virtually cancelled themselves out over the years! I believe that in my life time they were more like 3-30. I will never understand why we spent the afternoon on such a special day watching their futility. However, I believe that it was because there was nothing else to do after we ate. Back in them thar days we had channels: 9, 7, 4 and 2. The Lions were on TV 2. After dinner we were a bit lethargic and so the game filled time.

I thought that Lion's Watching was a necessary part of Thanksgiving until 1997 when I first arrived in Brazil. Thanksgiving was the Hudson's parade and then the Big meal followed by the Lion's game followed by Alka-Seltzer followed by an antidepressant. Over the years I became thankful that I wasn't a dyed in the wool Lion's fan.

I have shared before how that it wasn't until I got to Brazil that I celebrated my first REAL Thanksgiving. It took place in downtown Sao Paulo in a new church plant in a country that doesn't even celebrate Thanksgiving. It was a normal day for the Brazilian population but not for us.

There were many missionaries present and we were new to the field. We felt a bit lost but I will never forget that Thanksgiving. We had a big meal... but wait a minute! There was NO parade and NO Lion's game! WHAT?? How was this Thanksgiving??

What really floored me was what followed the meal. We gathered together to share blessings of what God had been doing in our lives during that year. We sang hymns of praise in the most heavenly choir of veteran missionaries and then we went around the room and each family praised God for His wonderful provisions, protections and presence in their lives and ministries. It changed the way that I looked at Thanksgiving! TG should have always been that way but it wasn't until a radical move to Brazil that it became something other than a hedonistic party.

Since that first Thanksgiving in 97 we have emphasized that type of celebration, whether here in Brazil or in the States. In fact just a year ago we were getting ready for a family get-together that would be spent (at least a part of it) in praising the Lord for His goodness and greatness.

So, whats to be thankful for this year, our first "Empty Nest" Thanksgiving? Much! My lovely wife and I love each other! We know many couples who don't. We have seen God's blessings over every one of our 34 years of marriage. We have daughters and sons-in-law who are born again, who love each other and who are serving the Lord of the Harvest! We have seen God provide in a miraculous way for Abby to be at College. We have three lovely grand kids. We are being used by God to share His Gospel. We have seen Him bring in some of the harvest already!

We are SO blessed! And, one more thing, we don't get the Lion's game down here!!

Happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you all!