Thanksgiving at Hidden Bluff 2025

….a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12b

Thanksgiving at Hidden Bluff 2025. November 24, 2025.

The bustle in the kitchen for Thanksgiving started Monday morning. After more than 30 years of Thanksgiving dinners, the routine is permanently etched into my memory. Yet, even though I could sleepwalk through the process at this point, there is intention and love in each step. Love is not finite and will continue to grow if nurtured through the good and bad. So, whether rolling out dough or peeling potatoes, prayers silently stream upwards that we will make warm memories to bind us together in love even more. That we become one strong cord and not one frayed by the world around us.

Of course, lively banter and antics, as well as 7 small dogs to entertain us (sometimes more), go a long way in nurturing the family bond. And plenty of delicious food to enjoy together also helps. But do we show our care for the others in the room? Is it with sincerity that we ask how they are doing? Do we truly listen? God, am I honoring you in word and deed when we celebrate? Has habit deadened my senses to those around me? Can a better effort be made in a relationship that has somehow become awkward or distant? May your Holy Spirit help me to see with loving eyes the things needed.

While kneading the bread dough, a moment of doubt flits across my mind. Even after decades, uncertainty lingers. Is all this just a waste of effort and time? Does any of this really matter? But the Lord sees these thoughts, and a bit later, an email arrives. Our teenage nephews had told their mom right away that they wanted to come to our house when asked about Thanksgiving. This is the needed encouragement. Yes, I will continue because no effort is wasted, even if just for one person.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:17

Father Time tends to scatter families, making holidays one of the few times a year to gather and preserve those relationships. It is worth the effort even if we don’t always see the results. We must put full trust in our Lord in this area. We can never be sure until the other side of eternity the victories that these small deeds have won. So, by the Lord’s grace, we continue to uphold our family as well as those the Lord has put in our lives and serve them as best we can until He tells us it is time to let go.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving week!

Thanksgiving at Hidden Bluff 2025