Today. It’s 2023, and the day before Thanksgiving (11/22/23). Bobby and I finished what I hope will be a good podcast for church last night. Before, during, and after, we had a good conversation about life on either side of the microphone.
Leadership is not just an 8-5, M-F, 50 weeks a year experience.
It’s every day, any day, all day, and even all night.
Forget vacations and weekends; your role never turns off when you are in a leadership position.
The challenges are many. How do you handle the needs?
Simple. Prioritize, and then deal with them one by one.
Thankfulness is often for something we take for granted.
That thing becomes the background of life.
Then, due to some situation we’re struggling with,
We find it in ourselves to be thankful for “that thing.”
We express thanks, but honestly, we should be thankful for our daily life.
Maybe it’s after the valley as we reach the mountaintop, and we are thankful.
That being said, I paused early this morning and thought about life.
Today? It’s the 60th anniversary of JFK’s assassination. I don’t know him, and I’m sure there are surprises in his backstory, but he affected my life. His challenge to America that we would get to the moon gave me the backdrop of my life, growing up next to NASA and having friends whose dads were astronauts, space engineers, and the like. Our smartphones have more power than those traveling out of the atmosphere ever had in their capsule. We’ve come a long way.
I’m unsure what my life would have been like without that background.
Today, I finally found the obituary for my ex-brother-in-law, who died of a heart attack on November 5th. We were asked to keep silent about it until plans were made, and I still hadn’t heard anything three weeks later. So, me being me, I searched and found his obituary. (Kenneth A Sweenhart) If you read the obituary, you’ll probably notice what is missing. Regardless, I’m going to miss him. His memorial service was last night, and we had no notice. Ken and I stayed in pretty regular contact. The day before my sister (his ex-wife) was killed, they chatted for nearly an hour. I can only guess about their conversation years after the divorce.
Perfect? Far from it. Neither are you, me, or anyone else on this planet. But he was my friend. I never gave up on him and prayed for him often. Farewell, Ken.
Today? My bride ordered a smoked turkey from Stewart’s Meat Market just down the road. For the first time since the pandemic and the beginning struggles of 2019, we have family coming to the house! Stewart’s has been in business for close to 100 years. It’s an old building with a lot of character. Along with traditional fare, they have their own jerky and process wild game and things I’d much rather not think about. Python, Kangaroo, Camel, and Ostrich? Yep!
Not that I need another cap (it’s hard to find one big enough to fit my brain),
this was an enticing purchase I did not make.
Today. I’m thankful. In the midst of this season, let us be thankful for what we have, but let’s be mindful of those who struggle with needing what we enjoy.
Samuel F. Pugh graduated high school in Tacoma, WA, and earned his first college degree at Puget Sound College in the 1920’s. Born in 1904, he passed away in 2007 at 103. My goal is to hit triple digits; if that happens, there is much I still need to do to catch up to his example.
Many years of ministry, writing, and leadership have produced a plethora of recorded acts and words that are a blessing to me today.
A Thanksgiving Prayer
Oh, God, when I have food
help me to remember the hungry;
when I have work, help me
to remember the jobless;
when I have a warm home,
help me to remember the homeless;
when I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer;
and remembering, help me
to destroy my complacency
and bestir my compassion.
Make me concerned enough
to help, by word and deed,
those who cry out
for what we take for granted.
~Samuel F. Pugh
Psalms 105:1-7 NKJV
Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
