Thanksgiving…

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year – Thanksgiving. We Americans are living the dream. Fact. We have been blessed with freedoms unfathomable by most. I grew up in Salina, Kansas. The heartland. Had no idea. Mom was a trained nurse (rare as she grew up in the Great Depression and in the middle of the dust bowl), Dad was a doc and made house calls (even brought me along). We knew our neighbors. Had ice cream socials on our adjoining driveways. Played kick the can for hours. Never thought about locking the back door. Our dog was a trade. One of dads patients couldn’t pay his bill. Invited us to his farm for the pick of the litter instead. My first golf shoes were old loafers. My dad took them down to the dude who owned “Brown Shoes,” and had him put spikes in ’em. I thought they were freakin’ magic. 

Went to college in Indiana. Met Barry Krick. He taught me Christians and cool were not polar opposites. Met Miss my senior year. She taught me much more. I had no idea. Made the big move to Columbus following college. Met Nick and Hope (Missi’s parents). Hope would promptly throw out my favorite jeans. Nick would help me get a job. Took me under his wing. A big one too. Blessed. Four kids later, Miss and I would find ourselves empty nesters in the blink of a freakin’ eye. No fear. We adjusted with the help of a few friends. And, here we are. I’m 65 still trying to impress my bride of 42. Our children are now 40, 37, 34, and 29. Cannot be. 

Seems like yesterday I was ten years old walking with my dad down the Hutchinson streets. We were headed to an FCA breakfast. FCA stands for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. That day in downtown Hutch, we listened to Roger Staubach and Tom Laundry talk football and faith. Got their autographs. Shook their hands. Forever changed my mind. So, friends, we live in a great, free, country, called these United States. We’re a perfect mess. Always have been. Always will be. It’s a gift being here. Could have born into Bangladesh. Could have landed in China. Could have been…

This Thanksgiving, take a moment and thank those whose shoulders you stand upon. Thank ’em. Thank God you and I are not given what we’ve earned. We’ve all been given a great gift and it’s up to us to believe and accept. Thanks, God, for the gift that keeps on giving. God, help me pass it along. God, help me not be a Cul de sac but, instead, a conduit. God, help me. 

Live hard. Love ❤️ harder. Thanks…