Some years ago, while living in Spain, my husband and I decided to take a Mediterranean cruise. Training to Venice, we boarded a cruise ship that carried us to numerous ports of call as far east as Turkey, before heading west. The journey, though fun and exciting, contained one adventure that we would have preferred not to have experienced.

Following more than a week of beautiful weather and fairly balmy seas, we awoke early on the next-to-last morning of the cruise to the ship’s jostling. Having departed Monaco/Monte Carlo the previous evening, we were scheduled for a day at sea before docking in Barcelona at the journey’s end.

Sometime during the day, the cruise itinerary promised a sail-by of the Spanish islands of Mallorca. Since my husband and I had previously visited Mallorca, the sail-by held little interest for us. Later we would learn that many others on-board felt the same way. Nonetheless, the event was built up to be something special, something to which we could all look forward to seeing. Mostly, though, we were simply looking forward to a relaxing day at sea before returning home. 

But the blue, cloudless skies to which we awoke that morning belied the condition of the sea upon which we were sailing. Throughout the morning, the ship’s jostling continued to increase, turning into a serious rolling motion.

In sailing to the west, the ship had encountered a hefty and steady wind that was blowing down from the north across the European continent. As the wind blew across the sea’s surface, it transferred some of its energy to the water molecules, setting them in motion. Similar to the manner in which one pushes a child on a swing, the regularity of the wind, continuously blowing across the waves that it generated, caused the waves to grow larger in the wind’s relentlessness.

As the day progressed, the wind and the waves became more than a nuisance. They became a threat.

Because the wind was south-blowing, the waves were parallel to the ship’s westward movement, striking the ship broadside. Each time that a wave struck the starboard (right) side of the ship, the ship was lifted by the swell, causing it to list to the left. Making matters worse, the listing was magnified by the wind pushing against the ship’s starboard side.

Then on the downward side of each wave, the ship would begin to lean back to the right, negating the wind blowing against the ship, to provide a moment of uprightness before the process would begin again. With each new wave, the ship and all on-board were lifted up, rolled left, dropped back down and then returned to an upright position. With no end in sight on the horizon, the waves kept coming, increasing in size and amplifying the ship’s movement, as the wind continued fueling the waves.

Inside the ship, the sight was not pretty. People were rolling out of bunks. Tables and chairs that were not anchored down were sliding across the decks. People, unable to walk, were holding on to whatever was available. Not wanting to lose anyone overboard, the captain ordered everyone to remain inside and then suggested that everyone remain in their cabins.

But by early afternoon, those on board felt not much safer inside than out. No one (NO ONE) wants to go down with a ship, unable to escape a personal Poseidon Adventure, a “high life” turned death trap.

By this time, the ship was rolling so far to the left that people were becoming terrified, even screaming. Crew members, having worked at sea for as many as twenty years, were confessing with panicked looks on their faces that they had never before experienced anything like this event.

All the while, the Captain was making occasional announcements over the intercom, attempting to relieve the fear that had become an unwelcome passenger on-board. In an attempt to maintain the integrity of the intended course (so I suppose to be his reasoning), the captain tried to encourage us with his stated hopefulness that the seas would soon calm down and that we would still complete the sail-by of Mallorca. In response, people began yelling back at the intercom, “Forget the sail-by! Get us out of here!”

Yet the Captain seemed determined to remain on course, refusing to be swayed from the trip’s scheduled route, even though the wind and waves threatened to, if not end the journey altogether, at least make it miserable.

Miserable and scared we were. Holding on to something near an exterior door in a lobby area, I remember being grateful that our sons were not with us. If my husband and I went down with the ship, at least they would live. The event was truly that harrowing, literally descending upon us out of a clear blue sky.

Finally, though, when it seemed that neither the ship nor the people on-board could withstand much more of the violence, the Captain announced his concession. Foregoing the sail-by, he commanded the ship to be turned into the wind.

As soon as the ship turned, instantaneous relief and smooth sailing were ours! It was as if we had been transported through a barrier separating two distinct worlds:  one of violence and chaos and the other one of peace and order. By facing the wind, the ship was able to cut through the wind and waves, taking the impact out of their punch and ending their threat to the safety of everyone on-board.

The ship erupted in celebration of the action that had returned the ship to a position of stability, evaporating the fear that had permeated the atmosphere. While the crew straightened out the furniture and other items that had been tossed about, the passengers returned to the decks and their regular activities with gratitude and great relief. Belief and expectation that the journey could and would be safely completed replaced the fear that had finally departed.

All that had been required to get the ship out from under the duress of the threat that day was a decision to use the power that was at the ship’s disposal: to issue a command to turn the ship to face the wind and waves head-on. Doing so nullified the threat of the wind and waves in that time and place, allowing everyone on-board to relax in the freedom that safety provides.

Recorded in Luke 8 is an account of an incident with wind and waves upon the Sea of Galilee that is similar in nature to the event that we experienced aboard the cruise ship. While Jesus slept peacefully in the bow of a much smaller boat, a squall descended upon the lake, causing the disciples who were with Jesus to fear for their lives. The Greek word that is used to describe this storm is one that implies intensity and ferocity of wind, such as a whirlwind or hurricane, but with great and thunderous storm clouds. This storm was violent, producing dangerous waves that threatened to topple the boat at any moment.

As Jesus slept, the disciples watched the storm’s intensity increase. The wind’s fierceness brewed discord not only in the water, but in the boat as well, in the hearts and minds of the disciples. The wind, that itself could not be seen, was the cause of the peril confronting the men, taking over control of both their boat and their thoughts.

The wind was the disciples’ foe, just as it had been ours aboard the cruise ship. And just as deliverance from the threat had come to us by facing the wind, so too would the disciples’ deliverance come to them in a similar manner. Empowered by the captain’s order, our ship had turned to position us rightly against the wind, and the disciples would need a power capable of changing their course, too. The power that they needed would come from Jesus, from His command.

Assured by His position of righteousness with His Father, Jesus could not be toppled by any ill wind blowing against Him. Fear could not befall Him, for death could not threaten Him. Death at sea could not have held Jesus any more than His later death upon the Cross was capable of doing. Jesus’ right standing with God, forever intertwined with His Father’s love and promises, empowered Him to stand firm against every threat, unencumbered by the weakness that doubt and fear produce.

His righteousness (right standing with God) provided Jesus with authority (the right) from His Father to speak in opposition to everything that defied His Father’s will for both Him and His Father’s world. Jesus’ spoken words against the wind and all that wrongly bore down upon the world were powerful because they were aligned with God’s will that is revealed in God’s Word. Jesus could not be intimidated by anything or anyone because He knew and accepted His position of authority as the righteous Son of God. Nothing could sway Him from the truth of either His Father’s identity or His own.

When Jesus stood up in the boat, faced the threat and voiced His Father’s will, the threat died out. It had no choice. It lost its punch.

The day would come, following Jesus’ resurrection, when the disciples would accept and use the authority that would be theirs in Christ Jesus, empowered by the assurance of His righteousness that gave them His eternal life. Speaking God’s will with the same right by which Jesus had spoken it—–as sons of God in Christ Jesus, their words were backed by the same power of God (Holy Spirit) that empowered Jesus’ words.

Today’s disciples carry the same authority backed by the same power that the early disciples had, providing us with the same opportunity to speak God’s will according to His Word. We are enabled to confront the things that generate chaos in this world head-on without fear, becoming instruments of restoration through the implementation of God’s Word, as it is spoken by us.

If we, as disciples of Jesus Christ and sons (despite our gender) of the living God, should ever doubt the veracity of our God-given ability to speak God’s Word with authority, an ill blowing wind is coming from somewhere to cause some degree of chaos in our thinking. God is not the one keeping us from using our God-given right to restore order where it is needed. To the contrary, God is the One who has empowered us with Himself to do so.

All that is needed to defeat the opposition of doubt and fear in our minds and hearts is to change direction by speaking the words that align us with God. All opposition to God is defeated by the power of Truth that His Word contains.

And we are just the men and women to deliver the full Gospel Truth in the midst of every circumstance, wherever we go.

With every Word of God that we speak, lives—–ours and others–—change course.

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“The words I [Jesus] say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”  (John 14:10b)

For two years, my husband’s job afforded us the opportunity to live along the southern coast of Spain. We were part of a small group of Americans residing in a mainly British community, and we enjoyed the opportunity to participate in customs and traditions belonging to a variety of cultures. But we also clung to some of the traditions that we had brought with us.

Especially important to us were the celebrations of Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, truly American holidays. So during the second year that we were together in Spain, the small American contingency decided to share a covered dish Thanksgiving meal at our home on the Sunday prior to the actual holiday. In making our plans, one of the other women and I each offered to prepare a turkey, while the other families agreed to bring side dishes.

I considered myself a seasoned pro (of sorts) at turkey purchasing in Spain, after my experience the year before. While whole ducks and rabbits were common at the meat counters, whole turkeys were rare birds, even in the modern SuperMercado. So a week prior to that first Thanksgiving, I made a special trip to the city of Algeceiras to place my order for a whole turkey with the grocery store’s meat manager. Returning to the store the day before Thanksgiving to retrieve the turkey, I was excited to be handed a turkey that was plucked and nicely packaged.

Actually, the meat manager and I were both rather pleased with ourselves, he for being able to fill my special order and I for having successfully accomplished the entire transaction in Spanish. I was ecstatic to see that I was actually getting what I had intended to order, even though it had one drawback. The turkey was very small, more the size of a big American chicken (which I would later learn is the typical size of Spanish turkeys). But the small size did not deter my exuberance. At least I had a turkey, and we could have a “real” Thanksgiving dinner.

But the next morning, I was reminded that things are not always as we think them to be. Unwrapping the turkey from its packaging, I lifted it up and flipped it over. As I did, the turkey’s bald head, dangling by its long neck that was still attached to its body, came swinging out from underneath the turkey like a pendulum, putting both a startled look on my face and a little panic in my voice. So much for me thinking that I had everything under control.

So the second Thanksgiving, as I agreed to prepare one of the two small turkeys that would be needed to feed the dozen or so Americans who would be present for the dinner, I determined to avoid any further Thanksgiving surprises. This time I specifically ordered the turkey sin cabeza (without head) and checked it thoroughly for any “extras” after getting it home. Relieved not to find any surprises, I once again felt in control of the situation, pleased that everything was going according to plan. The illusion would not last long.

When the Sunday of our big dinner arrived, warm temperatures and typical cloudless skies of southern Spain made the day appear promising. Walking into the small, local chapel that morning for English services, we greeted our friends and were discussing the upcoming dinner, when someone suggested that we invite the Anglican priest, who led the worship service, to join us for our meal.

Agreeing that the idea was a good one, my husband and I proceeded to invite the priest while we were waiting for the service to begin. Surprised and delighted, he accepted wholeheartedly. Then, a few minutes later, he turned the tables, surprising us. Standing before the congregation, the priest announced with great enthusiasm that the Americans had invited everyone (e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e) to join them for an American Thanksgiving dinner following the service!

While most of the chapel erupted in applause, the Americans were shell-shocked. Their jaws dropped open as they turned their eyes in unison to stare at my husband and me in disbelief. We were all wondering the same two things: “Where had that invitation come from?” and “How in the world would we feed everyone?” We didn’t even know how many “everyone” would be. All we knew was that company was coming to dinner, and we were unprepared. So much for thinking (once again) that we had everything under control.

Scurrying home after the service, we began preparing the best that we could. The Americans arrived right behind us, carrying folding tables and lawn chairs, in addition to their food contributions. Right behind them, our guests began arriving, carrying customary bottles of wine for their hosts.

Entering the house via the front door, our guests proceeded through the living room to the turkey carving table that began the buffet line. After receiving some turkey, they helped themselves to the side dishes and then departed out the kitchen door to sit and eat at the tables and chairs that had been set up in the backyard.

As the meal got underway, the Americans were a little nervous, to say the least, not knowing what to expect nor how many people we might be able to feed. With guests arriving faster than the buffet line was moving, the line soon backed up out the front door. Even friends who had not been in church that morning came, somehow having received the invitation from others.

As the line increased, so did the nervousness of the Americans. Casual chatter among the hosts decreased as we practically held our breaths in trepidation of running out of food. At one point, an American friend pulled me aside to ask the question that we were all wondering: “What are we going to do?” Looking at the line that was still increasing, I could only shrug. I had already checked the refrigerator and the freezer for any foods that could be prepared quickly, and there were none.

Meanwhile, my husband, carving one of the two chicken-sized turkeys, asked each guest if he or she wanted white or dark meat. To the occasional reply of “Both, please,” he would just smile and say, “Sorry, it’s one or the other,” trying his best to graciously stretch the turkey.

But as conscientious as he was in the turkey’s distribution, it and the rest of the food continued diminishing as the line kept coming. From outside, I could hear pieces of conversations regarding men getting more tables and chairs, as the ones on hand were filling up.

Finally, though, the end of the line did appear, and eventually the last guest was served. With sighs of great relief, we rejoiced as we proceeded to fix our own plates by picking the turkey carcasses clean and scraping out the remnants of the side dishes. We could barely believe our “good luck” in everything having turned out so well.

But when we stepped outside to join the others, our self-congratulations turned to disbelief. The backyard was literally filled with people, who were sitting and enjoying one another’s company as they finished their meals. Don’t ask any of us who were present how it happened (we only know that it did), but seventy people ate Thanksgiving dinner that day from two small birds and a handful of side dishes.

Seventy! The mathematics just did not compute. There was no way that we had prepared enough food to feed seventy people. We could only conclude the seemingly impossible:  God, not we, had hosted the meal. He had provided.

While we had perceived the priest’s error to be our problem, God must have seen it to be His opportunity to adjust our thinking and to reveal His glory—–a scenario that has played out innumerable times between God and man. The real error had been ours, not the priest’s. While we had focused on our limitations, issuing an invitation to a single individual, the priest must have heard God’s invitation welcoming everyone to come to God’s Table, where the supply is without limit.

The blessing to us who were “in the know” on that day was that God had allowed us to witness His Provision in such a dramatic way. Had we purposefully planned to feed dinner to seventy people, we would have undoubtedly prepared the meal for days ahead of time, wanting to be “perfect” hosts. After accomplishing such a task, we would have also undoubtedly patted ourselves on our backs, taking the credit for all of our hard work. We would have still said grace and blessed the food, thanking God, but not with the same awe that God generated in our hearts at this Thanksgiving meal. Nor would we have had the same recognition of God’s Goodness and intentions toward us.

While our plates did not overflow that day with the gluttony that has become synonymous with Thanksgiving in this country (both at our tables and in our stores), everyone had sufficient. There was enough to meet everyone’s needs. No one was left out. By contributing the food that we had on hand to the welfare of all, God returned the blessing of our offering back upon us all. Freely we had been given, freely we gave, and freely God multiplied.

As we ate and communed together that day, unity enveloped us. We had come from various nations and geographic locations, but we were like-minded, of one accord with one another and with God. The camaraderie was God-created, as He filled our hearts, as well as our stomachs. We were truly brothers and sisters in Christ, as God had made us to be.

The experience of God-reality is a gift from God that comes through God’s Provision of Jesus Christ, the Bread of life, who is life. By communing with God through the body (bread) and blood (wine) of Jesus at the Communion Table, which has been prepared by God, we gain greater insight into the love of God for all of mankind. Our minds are opened and our hearts are filled as awareness of God’s Presence unites us in singular purpose:  the worship of our most generous God.

God conquers our meager thinking with His generosity, revealing the Truth of who He is:  the Provider of all. His Provision to us is more than enough, empowering us to share with one another as God shares:  from the heart, without selfish ambition.

Unity with God in our thinking and purpose is all that mankind ever really needed to live God’s way, and God knew/knows it. That is why He gave Himself to us, placing Himself both among us (Jesus) and in us (Holy Spirit) to provide what the world cannot:  abundant Life. Through our acceptance of God by the Truth of Himself that He provides, our lives are transformed one at a time, making the world a little more like its Creator. We are compelled by our awareness of God’s generosity to give what is needed, where it is needed, when it is needed. In knowledge that God is caring for us, we are enabled to care for others, not from our meager rations, but from God’s ample supply. We learn to depend upon God to fulfill His desires that He implants in us, allowing us to experience the joy of both receiving and giving without reservation.

God’s Presence, both in us and with us, is the most generous Gift that could ever be given or received. The Truth of the Gift of God may be more than the world at large can swallow, choosing instead to disbelieve the Goodness of God that He has set before us all. But to those who have believed and received God, the experience of His Goodness in this life is just a taste of what is yet to come. 

I don’t know what God has prepared to serve at His Great Banquet Feast one day (See Revelation 19:9), as we come together from every tongue and nation before the Throne of God (See Revelation 7:9). But I am certain that it will be more than two scrawny birds or a few small fish (See Matthew 15:34).

And I won’t be surprised in the least if our mouths are too full of praise and thanksgiving to eat a single bite.

“May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness-
-—an abundance of grain and new wine.“  (Genesis 27:28)

 

     [HOME]          [TOP]          [LEFTOVERS THAT AREN’T]         [CONCLUSIONS]

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THOUGHTS ON “THE LESSON OF THE THANKSGIVING”

Louise Burkholder on April 12, 2013 at 9:49 pm said:  “Cathy, Betty L. forwarded your lovely Thanksgiving devotion. It brings back warm memories of Spain and how time and again God provided so generously. Hope all is well with you and yours.”

Betty Lorick on April 12, 2013 at 4:58 pm said:  “Your message is written so vividly that my stomach actually got butterflies for you as you tried to stretch your food to feed the 70 guests. This is a powerful message which I cannot wait to forward to my friends and family, just as soon as I return to my email. Thank you for sharing this story with all of your readers. We still miss you and your family but are so pleased to stay connected through your writings. Our love to you and to all of your family.”