A Joyful Thanksgiving

Our dentist, he asked if I was under stress, experiencing anxiety, did I want to try meditation, prayer. Me, on the other end of the phone with eyebrows furrowed and thoughts circling over the past few weeks while he continued with his diagnosis of my jaw pain. Have you watched the news? Do you know we put our dog to rest?Are you sure my recent dental work isn't the real culprit? As he continued in his explanation my back fired hot, I shifted in the chair, with a heart crunching on his words. How can one clench and not know it? Does clenching mean trust is buried beneath all that worry? I thanked my dentist for his help and hung up, lingering doubt shadowing my thoughts like a Star magazine at check-out.

Earlier that day I helped four-year-old grandson decorate a felt vest for Thanksgiving celebration. Like the Native Americans wore only this one gave me fright as the teacher handed my daughter and I sewing needles. Panic rifled through my chest. As if the elfin chairs and miniature tables weren't enough to test my brave, flared-up back pain and jaw discomfort took second place behind my fumbling fingers with a needle and thread. My mother was gifted true with a sewing machine, all those spools of thread and transparent patterns. I shivered at the sight of the apparatus in motion. Stealing quick glances at a young gentleman and son across the small table fueled my increasing anxiety. Over there, on their own brown vest I noticed beautifully arrayed pattern of multi-colored buttons, beads and on the back? A craftily drawn portrait of a figure which I didn't recognize, what with all that spinning going in in my head. My daughter figured out how to work her needle and thread, the room hummed with creativity, sparks of imagination illuminated the festive atmosphere. And as grandson concentrated hard, carefully coloring a forest green sun in between the stencil pattern, I sewed the end of a blazing orange feather onto the vest. After securing the thread, praying the feather would hold on until Thanksgiving, I scanned the room, fixing my gaze on Joy.

So when my dentist asked me those piercing questions later that day, I knew it to be true. Stress and pain holds it grip and this crazy terror causes fear to snake up the spine. But underneath all the uncertainties there lies a restful secret. Fear and faith can wrestle tough, long strands of slender thread and shiny silver needles might brand the eyebrow with glistening sweat. With eyes hunting for Joy right there, in the midst of the chaotic moment, enfolding yourself into the right true peace of bumbling seamstress, of dentists who might not see everything and behold the infinite Joy, now. Look for it, it's all around our earthly frames, this gift of His inexhaustible Joy, dancing circles beneath our grateful feet.

~Be Joyful, pray continually, give thanks in all things~