Day 26, the light comes in igniting a flame.

IGNITING

The blue flame kicks in to heat up a large pot. I throw in some butter to melt down and then add the turkey bits, a few shallots, carrots, celery stalks. It’s the big bunches of fresh rosemary, thyme, sage and parsley that are my favorite. Once all the ingredients have a nice crisp on the outside, I pour in lots of water and let that come to a boil.

Just like that, Thanksgiving begins.

All those ingredients in one large pot with the blue flames beneath send off a wave of aromas that stir up just about every emotion possible in my busy heart.

I am an emotional being. I am fully aware. And I could easily, no doubt write on and on about alllllllllll the emotions but we won’t go there.

One flame sets off so much.

What are you IGNITING in your heart today?

One memory for you: I remember walking up to the teller just wanting to make a a deposit. Miss Ruth asked me if I’d been crying. I was in a lot of pain that day and her sweetness was too much for me. My mouth fell into a frown and the tears came. I nodded my head & admitted to crying, while actually crying. I was hurting and angry but trying to convince myself maybe (?) – I said to her, “God is good.”

“All the time,” she said.

“God is good, all the time.”

I looked at her and she was looking right back at me through the plexiglass. “Andrea, God is good all the time.” Miss Ruth was going through cancer treatments and was encouraging me. I’ll never forget that.

When you know pain, you speak with a different authority. Her words were direct, true, loving and generous. Her light set me off on a path to repeat those words to myself and see if they were true.

Friends.

God is good all the time.