Thanksgiving 2021 is the perfect time to pause and reflect on what we have learned in the past 18 months. As normalcy returns and the boundary lines of travel and gatherings widen, what do we see differently? What will we do differently? What positive lessons of the pandemic will we apply to our Thanksgiving celebrations this year?
Have we mended broken places? Grown in compassion? Deepened our faith? Have we slowed down, spent more time with family, and reassessed our priorities? In short, have we learned anything at all?
A Better Normal
Whenever hard things strike, we are eager to return to normal. This becomes our main objective, so much so that we often miss the sweet moments along the way back to normal. What if, instead of seeking a return to normal, we seek a better normal than we had on Thanksgiving 2019?
While we continue to watch with uncertainty the world outside our walls, we can create and maintain the certainty of a better normal within our own homes. This sure foundation of home begins at our tables, where we not only gather for special feast days like Thanksgiving, but where we make gathering a regular practice. Shared meals strengthen bonds, whether they be with family, friends, neighbors, or even the occasional stranger. Then the special, annual gathering of Thanksgiving becomes the joyful extension of a familiar practice.
Creating certainty within the home gives our loved ones the confidence to face an uncertain world. The abruptness of the pandemic provided immediate opportunities for self-reflection, self-assessment, and authentic change. As we apply these simple lessons – the return to home and the refocus on family – let us spread our arms, our doors, and our hearts wide to welcome others into our strengthened spaces. In doing so, we send out the ripples of change that we long for in our world.
Resting in Certainty
This Thanksgiving, we can have the certain hope that comes from knowing Who is in control of all things. We often like to think that it’s us, that we control our own destiny. But when we are honest with ourselves, we can easily see that we do not. There are too many things outside our control. This often makes us feel anxious, fearful, and on-edge, waiting for the next hard thing around every corner. But knowing the God who is in control allows us to rest in the certainty of His loving care, even in uncertain times. When we come before Him as we are, aware of our own sins and ready to confess them, we can receive the certain gift of salvation that He, through His son Jesus Christ, holds out to us. For this, we must always be truly thankful.
This Thanksgiving, at Horizon, we want to thank you, our vendors and customers, for your commitment to us in these uncertain times. We are truly thankful for the opportunity to work with you to create and maintain beautiful landscapes in Bergen County. We pause to reflect on this blessing and look forward to a new year of fruitful work.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18