This has been a different year for me.

Honestly, I have been dreading the holidays. Just facing these moments without Mama here, without even being able to pick up the phone and hear her on the other end has seemed like a lot.

God is faithful, as always. He is the “lifter of my head”.

Psalm 3:3-5

“But you, Lord, are a shield around me,

my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

I call out to the Lord,

and he answers me from his holy mountain.

I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.”

There have been many things to be thankful for this year…many times He has shown me He is here with me.

I decided to share one here…it’s hard not to want to post each and every thing that happens to us- it seems that the Lord is always making Himself known.

In any case, as I’ve been planning my menu, it’s been sad to make plans without Mama. Of everything, I was most sad to miss her dressing this year. I have precious memories of my great-grandmother’s dressing. I have sweet memories of my mama and my grandmother making biscuits and cornbread, of them chopping and preparing. I think my Mom made the best dressing in the world. She had started in recent years, to make a little extra for me to freeze so I could pull it out from time to time in the months after Thanksgiving because she knew I loved it so much.

In any case, it just made me sad. I have the recipe she used (for the most part!), but it’s not like her hands preparing it…you know?

The Lord hears our sadness…

My friend, Jennifer, phoned a week or so ago and asked if she might make dressing for our family this year. I can’t even tell you how special this was to me. I began to weep. (Bless her heart…I know she was not expecting my reaction. Sorry again, Jennifer!) I could not believe how the Lord had responded to this burden of my heart. The Lord comforts me in the most unexpected, wonderful ways.

She delivered two pans of the most beautiful and delicious dressing to my kitchen on Thursday morning.

I won’t say my day was without tears (everyone keeps telling me all these “firsts” are just going to be hard), but what a blessing she was to our family. I didn’t have my mom’s dressing, but what a wonderful gift I was given. The Lord is so good!

Paul’s dad and brother, and our little nephews joined our table this year. Paul drove all the way from Orlando that morning to be with us for lunch.

I looked over my family and was reminded I have much to give thanks for every year.