As the sharp alarm sounds at 7am, I awake to a warm sun and a disappointed heart. I stumble out of my tent, convincing myself “today is not about me.” The first face to greet me is my sweet squad mate, Jen, who warmly wishes me, “Happy Thanksgiving, Taylor.” Little did she know that she warmed and broke my heart in only 5 seconds. You see, it is a tradition in my household to be the first to greet the person who just woke up with wishing them a happy holiday. As the tradition continued here in Argentina, so did the ache for home.
Our day was supposed to be a normal day of ministry: walking a mile or two into town, teach English to underprivileged kids, join our squad for lunch and worship later that evening. However, the morning started off rather difficult. As our team sat down at the breakfast table, the heaviness of missing home was obvious and unavoidable. Although no one called attention to it, our attitudes and lack of energy reflected the hurt in our hearts. We knew this was coming, why was the pain so deep? We were prepared to hurt as we miss our homes, why can’t we push past that?
As we walked into town, our slow conversation revolved around the different traditions in our family on this day. “Do y’all travel or stay home? What is your favorite Thanksgiving dinner side?” We tried to make less of the difficult reality. As we approached our school, I hear the sudden scream of a teammate followed by a loud hit of the car passing us and horrifying yelping. A dog was gruesomely hit and dragged by a car only 6 feet from us. We took a deep breath, gathered our emotions, walked in the gates of the school and said a prayer. “Surely this day is not going to continue like this,” I thought. We taught English to 3 classes and struggled with the langage barrier and a serious need for classroom management (I could have cried right then at the thought of missing two of the best teachers I know, my best friends and college roommates Madilynn and Jordan). We walked home, sat down to process, cry and pray. I was so hurt.
Before worship started that night, I made the bold decision to call home. As my mom encouraged me over the phone, I sobbed and asked for prayer. As I hung up, I said a few mumbled words of prayer, asking the Lord to intervene. What happened next has changed my life forever.
We spent time in worship as a squad. It was beautiful and so recharging. Followed by three squad mates confessing their conviction to wash our feet. I had my feet washed and sat back down, head in my hands on the edge of tears. Although, these tears were different then the tears I shed throughout the earlier part of the day. Tears of peace and hope. As I began to say a prayer thanking the Lord for providing amidst the discomfort, my squad leader stepped up to the microphone: “We will be having a Thanksgiving Dinner tonight!”
You have got to be kidding me. Immediate hot tears ran down my face as I tried to fathom the quick switch of emotion. My teammate, Sarah, approached me with a smile (she knew how much I LOVE Thanksgiving dinner). I giggled and told her the tears came because of more than just hot turkey, sweet potatoes and potatoes. That night I was reminded of the gracious, sweet and caring character of my Heavenly Father. He redeemed the day. In worship, He fed me. In feet washing, He met with me. And at dinner, He spoiled me. He chose to remind me of the nature of His heart.
I will forever remember that Thanksgiving Day. It has changed my life, the way I will wake up on Thanksgiving Days to come, and the way I see my Father. He knows His children and the desires of their heart. He is not hidden or far, He does not see any prayer as silly or unqualified, He is gentle, compassionate and generous. He is full of love. Thanksgiving is now about giving thanks for all things: a hose shower, a sweaty tent, the tears of a teammate, difficult students, God’s creation, freedom to worship, dirty feet, hot plates, cold plates, empty stomachs, full stomachs. He is in it all. He will intervene and meet us in the messiest and hardest of days. He chose to die on the cross for us and meet our greatest need. He will surely take care of everything and anything else.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! I hope you were able to experience the power and love of our Savior in whatever setting you celebrated in.
