HOLIDAY SURVIVAL KIT-VOL I

by Evangelist Linda J. Jackson

I was about 20 years old when I discovered that THANKSGIVING DAY was not a pleasant time for everyone. Having grown up in a home where my mother cooked everything from scratch, my family always ate at home for the holiday. Our family of nine, including my Mom and Dad, enjoy laughing and eating with one another. This was also a time of servanthood and reflection of God’s grace and favor covering us. Though we are all married with our own families, we still keep the tradition alive.

However, after hearing so many Thanksgiving horror stories over the years, some of which have literally brought me to tears, I am compelled to share some suggestions that I believe will help you celebrate not only Thanksgiving but your wonderful God purposed life of ordered steps as well.

Survive this Holiday by knowing that many share some of the same challenges.

FAMILY CHALLENGES

“We are newlyweds and would like the opportunity to begin our own traditions without upsetting the in-laws.”

“I am a single parent household and because of my work schedule, I find it hard to spend time with the children and cook a Thanksgiving meal. I feel so guilty about what I cannot accomplish.”

“I am divorced and my ex-spouse and I alternate the holidays. I feel so empty and alone without my family. I continually stress about them even though they are away, as they are not encouraged to call home.”

“I have a family that comes together in the most dysfunctional way. A portion of my family has already consumed a noticeable amount of alcohol before they arrive for dinner. We are a blended family and at some point it always gets ugly.”

“The week of Thanksgiving is a time of mourning for me. I have lost love ones during this time and I find it hard to celebrate or feel thankful. I am in constant warfare with depression.”

“I am single and cannot always go home for Thanksgiving. I feel awkward asking or accepting an invitation to be a guest at someone house for Thanksgiving. No matter how gracious the host is I always feel like an extra.”

MEALTIME AND PREPARATION

“Thanksgiving has become a dedicated 24 hour torture time of work and pure exhaustion! I love the smiles I see on my love ones faces but I no longer enjoy the celebration because I am too tired!”

“Other family members insist on bringing a portion of the dinner which always upsets the dinner menu and theme. We prefer to prepare our entire meal.”

“Thanksgiving is always a reminder that my cooking skills are not that great. I detest the pressure.”

“Shopping for Thanksgiving always takes away from our monthly budget for food. We eat wonderful for 2 days then have to scrape to get by till payday!”

“It is a difficult task to eat on schedule when family and or friends insist on including me in conversation while I am trying to serve the meal.”

CONVERSATION

“During our Thanksgiving meal, we started the tradition of each person verbally expressing something positive about what they are most grateful for during the Thanksgiving season. However what had been a very light, positive, heartfelt exercise turned into a 15-minute waterworks extravaganza from a guest who began to testify about how grateful they were for the endless trials they had endured. The children heard a bit too much for their young ears to say the least and others seemed much more timid than usual in expressing their positive thoughts of gratefulness.”

“Minutes before it was time to serve Thanksgiving dinner, a guest asked to turn on a football game. The game became the central theme of conversation for our Thanksgiving dinner. Consequently, what started out as an intimate gathering turned into a deluxe mini Super Bowl-like party in which the male guests literally carried their food to the media room leaving the female guests and children to eat alone. D I S A S T E R!!!”

“I went on strike and refused to cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal to get the attention of my spouse in hopes that he would do more to help me out with dinner preparation. I was thoroughly insulted when he surprised me and brought home a full Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings including desert. Everyone congratulated him on a job well done and even offered to help clean up out of empathy for his chivalrous acts of kindness! I realized that he never got the point!”

Dear friend, do any of these challenges sound familiar. Church say AMEN!

Even though your life has ordered steps that have been purposefully and particularly designed for you, just know that many share similar challenges and ……

HELP IS ON THE WAY!

Look out for Vol 2 where I share some Thanksgiving Survival tips that I believe will encourage and empower you to enjoy and celebrate this Thanksgiving Celebration!