“From them will come songs
of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. (NIV)
Thanksgivings will pour out of the windows; laughter will spill through the doors.” (CV)) Jeremiah 30:19
Thanksgivings will pour out of the windows; laughter will spill through the doors.” (CV)) Jeremiah 30:19
Someone in close
proximity to the cottage where our family has spent the last seventeen
Thanksgiving weekends, could well testify to the truth of this statement. There
was much rejoicing and happy laughter. 
The tradition of
spending such a weekend together began when my husband and their dad and
grandpa died on Thanksgiving weekend in 1999. We tried out a few different
locations before we found this gem near Bayfield on Lake Huron, and we have returned ever since. From
Friday night to Monday we live and laugh and love together.
The weekend always
includes some reminiscing. In the
beginning, we often looked at family slides and pictures and read the little
booklet of memories Norman had shared before his death. In 2005, a few months before we married, Paul
joined us and got a close look at the family of which he was anticipating
become a part. It went well, for we never left a weekend that he didn’t say
with a contented sigh on the way home, “I love spending time with your family!”
This year, even though
my second grandson couldn’t be with us we were especially thankful for
him. Seven weeks ago, he suffered an
accident that could so easily have killed him.
Although the accommodations weren’t adequate for his needs, he was at
home recuperating quite well. We kept in close contact, texting him often.
We of course, missed
Paul too, but I rejoiced to have my family around me and felt delight and gratitude
bubbling up inside so often during the time we were together.
Psalm 107:8-9 says “He put your feet on a wonderful road that
took you straight to a good place to live. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the
children he loves”
Sometimes,
from my perspective, it has appeared less than a straight path, but often on
what I perceived as detours of difficulty, his miracle mercy has been evident.
Our family always make
sure we have our evening meal early enough to be at the lakeside to see the
sunset. Saturday night was nice. Sunday
night I breathed a prayer of thanksgiving and added a small request that God
would let me know that he will be with me as I go on my life journey without a
spouse to share my life. It looked as
though the sunset may be less than spectacular, but I was content.
Ten minutes later, the
clouds burst into radiance. The whole
sky from side to side, and even to the east, put on a breath-taking display
that lasted for some time. The colours were so varied and gorgeous. Each minute bought its own hues. It felt like a direct answer to my prayer and
filled me with assurance and heartfelt praise.
Apparently that sunset wasn’t just for me. I saw many pictures of it on Facebook this week. It was seen by many people from quite an area. I hope it blessed those other photographers as much as it did me.
In the days since, my
heart says with the Psalmist, “I will give thanks to you,
LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1
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3 comments:
Ruth, thank you for sharing your resume of cottage family reminiscences, your lovely pictures - especially of the gorgeous sunset radiance, and your reflective scriptures.~~+~~
Ruth, I read right into your heart in this post. Those photographs are magnificent. Well done. And I am sure you have such mixed feelings going to Bayfield, missing Paul and now missing your grandson - albeit that is a temporary void. I think that is such a wonderful time that you have created for your family to remember and rejoice together. And I am sure it was a joyful noise to anyone in earshot! Lovely and thanks for sharing. X
"Laughter will spill through the doors." I love the uncontained joy of those words. I could hear it again in your response to the particularly and unexpectedly beautiful sunset.
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