God Heard the Prayers
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!! I’m not sure everyone would agree with that, but for me, it is a wonderful time of the year. I have always loved Thanksgiving and that day is only two weeks away! There is just something about gathering together as a family and enjoying time with each other, good food, and lots of laughter that is so appealing to me. I especially like it because you are not under the pressure of buying gifts for everyone!!
As a child, we would always gather at my paternal grandparents’ house which just happened to be right next door to our house. There would be aunts and uncles, cousins, and what seemed to me like a huge crowd of people. The meal would be delicious and desserts were great and plentiful. As a child, it all seemed so perfect to me.
As I grew and matured, I began to realize that things were not always as they seemed to that little girl. I’m reaching deeply into my heart to tell you that I recall some things that were not so great. There is really no need for me to go into the details, but suffice it to say that, as I aged, I realized some things were not like I wish they had been.
I can remember at a very early age beginning to pray for things to be different at our holiday gatherings. I so wished for everyone to be happy and nice to each other. I wanted everyone to get along, and for those who drank alcohol to leave it alone so that their speech and actions would not cause trouble. To that little girl, it certainly seemed like it changed the joy into sorrow more often than not.
As I grew into a young teenager, I made a conscious decision that I would never have anything to do with drinking and would never date anyone who drank. I saw the damage and destruction that drinking could have on a family, and therefore, I wanted nothing to do with it.
God heard the prayers of that little girl.
A few years later I married a man who didn’t drink, and who valued family time as a gift. He was a man who led our family in every way, and instilled in our children the joy of happy family gatherings.
Good food, love, laughter, conversation, singing, and prayers of thanksgiving are all part of the celebration now. Sometimes it’s hard to work out all of the logistics of getting together, but it always takes place, and a good time is had by all…even this little girl who grew up.
Thanksgiving is the most wonderful time of the year for me because it reminds me that God loves us and answers prayers…even those that come from the heart of a child.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17)
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AUTHOR: Donna Faughn
