On Thursday of this week we will celebrate that annual ritual of families coming together to partake in the consumption of a vast amount of turkey, dressing, pies and other holiday goodies.  After we have shoveled all of the food down in a matter of minutes we will soon forget it took some devoted mother, mother-in law, wife, daughter and/or sister hours – if not days – to prepare the feast.  We will use the afternoon lounging before the television to watch our favorite football games – allowing the food to properly digest before we return to the kitchen to grab leftovers for dinner.  I think I can smell the turkey and dressing already!

As we gorge ourselves, we will find ourselves spending some “quality” time with long lost relatives who we have not seen since last Thanksgiving.  You know – the distant sibling who is still reeling from a bitter divorce from a spouse who ran off with his/her co-worker.  The cousin from two states over who has nothing better to do than to tell you about the incredible deal he just got on a time share associated with a mobile home on a lake in Podunk, Arkansas.  Or, the aunt who must bring you up to date on the many cousins you never have met (or desire to meet) who live on the other side of the country.  And, don’t forget about the older relatives who tell you story after story – over and over – while you try to watch your favorite team on TV.  Yes – family time!  Don’t you just love it?  Or, do you?

The tradition of coming together as family is one that either delights and warms our hearts or creates stress and anxiety causing a sharp pain to develop down our left arm!  Not all families are quite like the one I described, but many families possess individuals who can really make a holiday unforgettable, but not with a memory we want to keep.  These folks can bring out the worst in all of us.

So, how do we handle these challenging gatherings with our families?  I encourage those who face the difficult holidays, like Thanksgiving, to consider what Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia about possessing the “fruits of the Spirit”:

“But , the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” –Galatians 5:22-26

God wants us to evoke behavior that is consistent with the character of one who walks in the Spirit.  Our best example: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, our depravity can cause us our flesh to do the complete opposite of how Jesus wants us to act.   

Jesus taught his disciples about the good and bad treasure of their hearts – “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” –Luke 6:45  It is much easier for us to use the “bad treasure” of our heart to relate to those we sit with at the dining room table – or the children’s table in the Kitchen.  However, with God, it is possible to be kind, gentle, patient and loving with those we will encounter this week.  The “good treasure” can be used to build bridges over rivers of relational distance that seem way too wide to cross.

Trust in the Lord to give you the strength and guidance in order to persevere during the hours or days you are around your relatives this week.  I know He will be there with you each step of the way – even when your Aunt Martha tells you about her latest bout with the gout!

And, don’t eat too much turkey this year!