Woman begins planning early for Thanksgiving feast
Each year, Michelle went out of her way to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for her family.
Michelle’s preparation began during the summer months. In July, she cooked her pre-Thanksgiving feast. For Michelle, this was the highlight of the year. She prepared a huge turkey with all the trimmings, because that’s what she wanted.
During the pre-Thanksgiving feast, Michelle asked all family members to spend some time following the meal making a list of everything they would like for her to include in November’s feast.
“Feel free to list as many items as you wish,” Michelle encouraged them.
Following the pre-Thanksgiving feast, everyone gathered in the den to watch professional football and complete their Thanksgiving lists.
Max, Michelle’s oldest son, listed seven items on his list. “Here you go, Mom,” Max wrote. “I hope you notice that I only have seven items listed for you to prepare. I want homemade rolls, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, homemade cranberry sauce, roast duck, apple cider and green beans.”
Monty, Michelle’s youngest son, listed five items. “Mom, you know I’m not much of a poultry eater,” he said. “I’m more of a steak-and-potatoes guy. So I would like hamburger steak, sirloin steak, and New York Strip Steak, all well done. I want two baked potatoes, one plain and one with extra butter and sour cream.”
The list written by Mitzi, Michelle’s daughter, only had three items. “Mom, I’d like my usual garden salad with lots of fresh veggies,” Mitzi wrote. “For dessert, I’d like a strawberry jam cake and a fresh banana, please.”
Millard, Michelle’s husband, shared the same list every year. The list included barbecued chicken breasts, broiled chicken thighs, deviled eggs and pork chops.
The following day, Michelle worked at her job at the local nursing home. She enjoyed her job very much, and she considered her work a ministry to the Sovereign Lord. The day passed quickly, and, after dinner, Michelle began looking at the Thanksgiving lists her family had given her.
Michelle read each list once to herself and once aloud. “I am so happy that my family asks me to do this for them,” she thought.
Michelle noticed a list in her stack that she hadn’t seen the previous day, and she recognized the familiar handwriting of her cousin, Marie, who had recently moved to another state.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the pre-Thanksgiving feast,” Marie wrote. “Here’s my Thanksgiving list.” Scanning down the page, Michelle didn’t see any more words. The rest of the page was blank.
Michelle looked on the other side of the paper and read the following note: “Michelle, you know I’m a big eater, but I’m not a picky eater. I’m sure that anything I want is already on someone else’s list, so I’m good to go!”
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