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From: Mary Zimmerman
Winona
We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Day at the Zimmerman house, but I find it so sad that many families didn’t experience that joyous a family gathering. Why? Because they were scheduled to work their job at a retail store that has already been pushing sales for weeks. God wants us to seize the moment, live in the present, not bypass Thanksgiving for a Christmas bargain. On this day we are to give thanks to God in the same way the Pilgrims gathered to do so many years ago. Bring back your lives from the present day hustle and bustle and be attentive to the starving people in this world as well. God loves a cheerful giver but demands a grateful heart too.
Thanksgiving is a special day set aside to bend our knee and lift our eyes in prayerful adoration of our loving God.
At 9:30 a.m., with the grace of God, I found myself kneeling in God’s presence for Mass on Thanksgiving Day, recounting my blessings and giving thanks. I thought about each of my living children. I thought about Duane (died in a car accident July 6, 1976), as I wondered how this day is celebrated in heaven. If food is a part of it, I guess I know how I’ll be spending some of my time in heaven...setting up Mary’s Kitchen, to make some heavenly pies. I’d guess we won’t need to rely on earthly food for our heavenly happiness.
If by now you have some regrets on how you spend the past Thanksgiving, let it go. I’ve discovered through my many episodes of depression we can’t change the past. Just learn from it. The future lies ahead of you.
Christmas is just around the corner. We must ponder in our hearts “Jesus is the reason for the season,” and every day, with some effort, we can make it a happy, holy season. “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.” God has asked that my next article be “Peace Be With You.” I hope to have it ready soon. I am so looking forward to (with the help of the Holy Spirit) writing it as a prelude to Christmas. Peace be with you and may God bless you.
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