Thanksgiving: Past and Present by Brennan McPherson

Hi, Gang! Mesu here. 🙂

I’d like to welcome my dear friend and fellow biblical fiction (bibfic) author, Brennan McPherson, to my pre-Thanksgiving blog! Brennan and I have been email buddies since his first novel released in 2016. Soon after, we collaborated with Carole Towriss on The Psalm Series in which each of us wrote a novella about a psalm of our choice.

With the holidays approaching, I asked three bibfic author friends to share their favorite memories about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Brennan is sharing his Thanksgiving cheer today. Next month, Tessa Afshar and Connilyn Cossette will share their favorite Christmas memories. Enjoy!

Thanksgivings: Past & Present

by Brennan McPherson

Holidays were a mixed bag for me growing up. Excluding a select few cousins (thank God for them), I generally felt depressed when told I had to spend a Thanksgiving with my innumerable cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Several of my cousins were mean, and would inevitably end up hurting me. Others were just… different.

For example, I have a vivid memory of one of my teenage cousins licking her own snot from her upper lip like ice cream from a cone.

I still shiver when I think about it.

Decisions, Decisions

I didn’t like how there were so many decisions that suddenly needed to be made. So many dishes of food that needed to be placed in a specific order on the table—because didn’t you know that the only place to put the potatoes was before the main course?

And who would dish up first, anyways? Would the process move from oldest to youngest? Or youngest to oldest?

Whoever answered (in either direction) was promptly rebuked because how would we arrange seats? It would mess up the flow. I mean, the kids couldn’t take the nice seats while the grandparents sat on the couch. That would just be wrong.

And would we really wait until everyone (including that slow uncle who seemed to have no concept of time) was present and ready to go?

Laugh Or Cry?

Inevitably, people would argue, someone would get their feelings hurt, and at least one kid would throw a tear-soaked tantrum.

All the while I would stand in the corner, stealing pickles and croissants to munch on when no one was looking.

Humor aside, I love my family. They’re great people. (Really.)

But growing up, the peripherals seemed to be made the focal point, while the fundamentals (i.e. enjoying ourselves and not being snarky) were thrown out the window like a sack of squishy potatoes.

A Different Kind Of Thanksgiving

So, when I got married and attended the first true Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws, it was like waking up to a new universe.

When the food was ready, everyone just sort-of. . . dished up. No one questioned why anyone went before them. No one wondered aloud about where to place food. No one told anyone where they should sit. No one threw fits. Everyone just smiled and had a good time and ate way too much food without caring where they sat (whether on a lawn-chair with a TV tray, or the couch with a plate in their lap).

And after several people nodded off, I was encouraged to lay down in one of the spare beds if I was sleepy. (I was.)

A Grateful Pause

I could pretty much hear the angels singing while it was happening. For a lazy guy who loves food, it was the ultimate holiday celebration. As I lay down on a pillow with a quilted Santa Clause, I even started to get kinda emotional.

Because here were these people who had fully accepted and welcomed me into their most intimate space as an adopted family member, and offered me the full freedom to relax as if it were my own home.

That Thanksgiving made me truly, profoundly thankful. For them. For life. For family.

I also felt, in that moment, that I had wasted my previous Thanksgivings by being cranky about the elaborate ceremonies when I could have just chosen to be thankful and content.

Looking Deeper

Most anger or irritation springs from pride, but thankfulness has a purifying effect on the human soul because to be thankful is to humble yourself.

Thankfulness is one of the most often commanded expressions in response to God’s goodness.

Indeed, God even goes so far as to say that he opposes the proud but gives grace and draws near to the humble.

Without thankfulness, we’re prideful hooligans devoid of God’s spirit.

But if we cultivate thankfulness in all circumstances, he will purify and renew the spirit of our minds, and help us to see the value in even those circumstances we find less than pleasing.

Because sometimes the problem isn’t what we think it is.

Sometimes the problem is just our attitude.

Brennan’s Question To Us:

So what are you thankful for, today? This month? This crazy year of 2020?

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More About Brennan:

BRENNAN S. MCPHERSON writes epic, imaginative biblical fiction with heart-pounding plots and lyrical prose, for readers who like to think biblically and feel deeply. He lives with his wife and young daughter in the Midwest, and spends as much of his spare time with them as possible. You can connect with Brennan on his website at https://brennanmcpherson.com/ and CLICK HERE to find his latest release, Eden.