Our Multicultural Thanksgiving - Focus On Your Child (Focus on the Family)

I woke up Thanksgiving morning with a few extra jitters. Not only were we hosting 16 people in our 1100-square foot townhome, but we were adding our little 11-month old Grace to the mix. My mind raced with questions How are we going to entertain everyone and watch Grace at the same time? I Visions of her coating the walls with Dad’s freshly created gouda cheese potatoes or loading her diaper with Mom’s secret-recipe stuffing. And I wondered if the presence of an active, scooting, crawling little baby would annoy our adult guests. Angela and I both wanted to make sure that this would be a memorable Thanksgiving—for the right reasons!

But as always, our worst fears were not realized. Not only did Grace behave perfectly (and enjoy the turkey and potatoes and stuffing), but she was the star of the show. She was especially loved by our special guests, our dear friends Frits and Nellica, who were visiting from Holland. As believers in a very secular culture, they relish their trips to the United States, where they soak up the fellowship of their Christian brothers and sisters. Coming this year was a dream-come-true, as they would celebrate their very first Thanksgiving, our distinctly American holiday.

Grace especially took to both of them. I’m not sure if it was the fact that they both reveled in their first holiday or if it was just their down-home charm and warmth, but seeing this 60-year old couple on the floor following a 6-month old infant was a wonderful sight to behold. Separated by oceans and generations, they shared a common bond of friendship and joy.
Not only would this be a successful Thanksgiving—it just might be our most memorable one. A couple times I put down my coffee pot or dish rag and soaked it in. As a new father with a new family, I was proud of what God had so graciously given me. A houseful of friends and family, a loving wife and daughter, and a faith that stretches across generations and cultures.
We learned this year that Thanksgiving is more than football, turkeys, and bad casseroles. It’s about family warmth and reflection on a year of God’s provision.

And it took an 11-month old and a an older couple from Holland to teach us that lesson.