In Tolkien's "The Hobbit", the Dwarves and the main character, Bilbo Baggins, became lost in the terrible Forest of Mirkwood. Their food was gone, and they were losing all hope, when they finally hit upon an idea - let Bilbo climb a tall tree to try to get a vision of how they might escape this dangerous situation. Unfortunately, from the treetop, Bilbo reported that he saw only the Forest going on forever. [Of course, I'm referring to how this scene was written in the book. In the movie, this scene was altered for some reason, with Bilbo seeing their destination - one of my only complaints about the movie.]
Anyway, back to the book. The truth was that the tree Bilbo climbed was located at the bottom of a valley, and the trees which Bilbo thought went on forever were actually only growing up the sides of the valley. The truth was that Bilbo and his friends had almost reached the end of the Forest, but he just couldn't see it; and so his report served only to further discourage the already disheartened company.
Isn't it interesting what perspective can do for us? When we see something less than clearly, we can make decisions and choices that we probably would not make if we were fully aware of all of the facts.
Is 2020 the worst year ever? Pandemic, civil unrest, shut-downs, virtual school and work and church, hurricanes, fires, a crazy election and more - what could be worse than this?
It might seem that no other year could possibly compare with the mess of 2020. But our perspective, from the middle of everything going on right now, is probably not perfect. For instance, none of us were around for the Spanish Flu Pandemic that began in February, 1918, and which infected roughly one third of the World's population, and killed an estimated 20-50 million people. As you know, World War I was still on-going until November 1918. But more American soldiers died of the Spanish Flu than were killed in battle in that war.
I'm thinking the survivors of 1918 would not think much of our claim that 2020 is the worst year ever. And, let's not forget the horrors of the years of The American Civil War, or World War II and The Holocaust, or The Spanish Inquisition, or slavery, or...you get my point.
Still, 2020 is what we have all experienced. Whether or not the losses we have endured this year are, collectively, equal in magnitude to what other years have brought to the world, there certainly have been losses in 2020 that are real and painful. And as we approach Thanksgiving Day, some of us may find ourselves to be a little less than overflowing with gratitude. Some of us might be wondering what we have to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day 2020.
As usual, our perspective is never good when we are looking inwardly, when we are looking at ourselves, when we are looking down. Changing our perspective can change our attitude.
So, as I consider Thanksgiving 2020, I find myself thinking of a family I knew from my growing-up years in Baton Rouge. The four children in the family are within a few years of my age, and were part of our Youth Group at church back then. Their parents were wonderful members of our church as well. But this will be the first Thanksgiving my four friends will face without their parents. Their father and mother were both hospitalized with, and died of Covid, within days of each other this Spring. Patients with this disease are isolated from all visitors, and so, my four childhood friends were unable to be with their parents as they passed from this life.
While this does not, at first glance, seem to be a story that would generate feelings of gratitude, there is a bit more to tell which, to me, gives a different perspective on an otherwise sad and tragic story. My four friends decided that, since they could not be with their parents in the hospital, they would spend some time with each other in prayer. So each day their parents remained alive in the hospital, my friends set their alarms for 3:00 A.M., and would get on a conference call with each other and pray together. At 3:00 A.M.!
“So what”, you say? “God didn’t heal their parents; there’s nothing to be thankful for here”, you say?
What I see is an incredible foundation of faith that was established for my friends, dating back to the times they spent with me and our other friends and their families in the church in Baton Rouge all those years ago. This faith foundation began in their home, and was nourished and nurtured in a church led by imperfect people who cared, and in Bible classes taught by imperfect people who cared, and in the Youth Group led by imperfect people who cared, and in weeks at our amazing church Camp led by imperfect people who cared. Wherever their paths have led them since those days, that foundation has remained, and it was still there for them when this terrible thing happened to their parents. What I see is that God used those special times of black-of-night prayers, as my friends held each other’s hands virtually, and spoke their faith and their love into each other’s hearts, to bring healing to their souls.
I find myself to be strangely thankful for these things this week as our National Day of Thanksgiving approaches. I find myself thankful that my childhood friends walked with God through a time of great pain and loss. I find myself thankful for my old church and the people who shaped their faith, and my faith, so long ago. I find myself thankful for our own imperfect church today, with its imperfect leaders and imperfect people, and I find myself praying that we will find new and creative ways to establish and strengthen and shape foundations of faith for all who step through our doors.
I pray that you will also seek out thanksgiving and gratitude this week – perhaps through times in the past where God has carried you, and perhaps through the moments in which God has revealed Himself to those with eyes to see and ears to hear during the difficult days of this year. Changing perspective can help - look up, and be thankful.
~Shepherd Ambrose Ramsey
