It was early…and my head was pounding, but all was well in the Lengkeek home. There were 6 adults, 2 teens and 2 man-eating Shit zus celebrating and reminiscing on Thanksgiving Day.
Air mattresses were scattered, but I won the couch. I woke up to the family gathering at the table just feet away from where I was camped. Laughter ensued. We reminisced about Thanksgiving’s past. The ones we shared together and the ones we were 1,000’s of miles apart.
There was the 80’s when Kevin was here in the US while we were still in Bolivia. While we gathered around a table with our Bolivian friends, we thought Kevin had gone to spend Thanksgiving with Uncle Jon in South Dakota. What we didn’t know and didn’t find out till much later was that his car had broken down and he was stuck at college. Just him and the janitor – Pepe. The two of them took Pepe’s car and Kevin’s guitar and spent time singing with some people that lived in a retirement home.
Back in 2005, shortly after Don and I had moved to Houston, TX…we found ourselves alone Thanksgiving Day. Not sure what to do and feeling a bit sorry for ourselves, we loaded up our card with bottled water, blankets and sweaters and headed downtown to deliver them to homeless individuals living under the bridge. It was as we got close that we spotted a women waiting to cross at a red light who was clearly homeless. As she crossed, I called her over handing her a bottle of water. What happened next…
She handed me her joint…examined the bottle of water and handed it back. “I don’t drink this kind”. She then grabbed her joint and walked off.
Under the next bridge, there was a man with crutches. I asked Don to pull over while I took him a sweater, blanket and bottle of water. As I turned around…I see our car with the trunk popped open swarmed. “What on earth!” – It looked straight out of a scene from today’s popular show – Walking Dead. I ran over, closed the trunk while saying “Please share! Please share!” I hopped in the front seat and we honked to clear the road. They took everything before we could blink.
Sometimes things don’t turn out the way we expected…nor do we react the way we should or want. Kevin had plans that Thanksgiving day – of celebrating on a farm with family. Don and I had the grandiose idea of delivering items to those in need and having life impacting – “Let me tell you about Jesus” conversations.
But God had a better Thanksgiving in store for us, a better year in store for us, a better life in store for us.
We are blessed. Very blessed. Although it’s been tough at times – we are so grateful for all events. The good and the “bad”.
