Thanksgiving came around the corner after a somewhat redacted Halloween. All Hallow’s Eve was originally a pagan holiday, so despite it being a favorite of both kids and adults, everyone yielded to the consensus that they should go easy on the spookiness this year.
Thanksgiving, on the other hand, was a fine holiday to celebrate. Native Americans and Pilgrims breaking bread to celebrate the bounty of what was, for the Pilgrims at least, a new land. Of course there was a negative side to the history of Thanksgiving and the Colonies, but the positive side, two different peoples sharing a meal and celebrating God’s goodness, was far more relevant, not to mention pleasant, now that the kingdom of heaven had come near. In heaven, cowboys and Indians would get along, and there would be no war.
Ethan and Linda, Leonard and Nia, Stephen and Olivia, Raymond and Clara, and Elliott and his family all had wonderful Thanksgivings.
Ethan and Linda were thankful for him having a second chance at life after his divine punishment. He should be burning in hell right now and he knew it. God’s grace had freed him from his terrible fate in order that he might repent and have a better testimony on Judgment Day. Linda also had some repenting to do before she met the Lord—after all, who didn’t—and she’d been praying more lately after Ethan had told her about his unpleasant trip. They would make Christ the center of their lives, as He should be. Forgiveness, generosity, purity, faith, and love would be their highest priorities. His punishment was serious, and although the Bible says all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, salvation is not to be taken for granted.
Leonard and Nia celebrated as they did every year, but this year everything was a little nicer. The food, the silverware, the crystal glasses for the grown-ups’ wine and the children’s soda. They’d decided to make the holiday an early Christmas by giving the kids one present each, the toys the parents knew they wanted. Leonard prayed for America to be more united over the coming year. While he was grateful for the sign and wonders, he also saw that the races and classes, in Weatherview as well as throughout the country, weren’t coming together like they should. The Civil Rights Movement won many victories legally, but now sixty years later the country had yet to win the corresponding social victories of collective peace, love, and equality. If different races could not be brothers and sisters at heart in a land of endless miracles, then how could brotherhood be achieved anywhere?
Raymond and Clara ate Thanksgiving dinner just the two of them. He had told her about his test flight and getting struck by lightning, but she didn’t entirely believe him. She thought maybe he’d imagined the flying and the lightning bolt. Stranger things had been known to happen in this city. He had bought her another extravagant gift, a dress and matching shoes, the most stylish and expensive he could find at the most luxurious store in Weatherview. She loved them. He was surprised how much she loved them given that Ray didn’t have much of an eye for fashion. After dinner they put a record on and slow danced. Times like these reminded him how blessed he was and how much he loved his wife. Clara didn’t talk, just drifted away to heaven in Ray’s arms. They swayed and turned gently through the clouds as he held her, never wanting to come down.
Dinner at Stephen and Olivia’s house was quiet. They had been arguing and play-fighting less in recent weeks, partly due to them going to church and hearing about righteous marriages and families. They weren’t taking life too seriously, but they were sincerely trying to make changes to be ready for the Lord’s return. Being quiet gave them a chance to appreciate each other’s company in different ways. They didn’t have to fill the air with words to have a good time together. Plus, this Thanksgiving was a significant one for Weatherview and they could appreciate how historic the time was. After all, this could be their last Thanksgiving on the old earth.
Finally, Elliot’s dinner with his parents was light and fun. He was an only child and it was just the three of them. He had been an exemplary student of late despite his busy schedule, and his mom and dad were grateful for the Dropout Movement’s dissolution. They’d even bought him a new acoustic guitar as a surprise gift a week earlier. He hadn’t officially started writing music for his album yet, he was still getting used to improvisation and exploring his creative process. He had some great ideas brewing and planned to start writing soon.
Love abounded across the city on this most thankful of holidays. Families felt at once lighter and more deeply alive, with fewer worries than ever before. They thanked God for what he was doing in their town, what they could see, and what they couldn’t even imagine, what he was preparing for them beyond the clouds.
Leave a Reply