Taught by a Turkey

God has used my boys to teach me many things through the years.  We started our "Thanksgiving Tree" on the first day of November.  I painted a tree on a piece of wood, and each day of the month, the boys write what they are thankful for on a little leaf and we hang it on the tree.  I am not sure what I expected, but so far, every day Luke has said he is thankful for someONE, not someTHING  (Rhett said Jesus the first day, but then said he didn't want to do it anymore- I guess it's not that cool for a 13 year old to write what he's thankful for on a leaf and hang it on a tree).  I think I expected Luke to say his tractor or microphone or the Ipad, but each day he has said he is thankful for a person.  It blesses my heart to know that the things he appreciates most are relationships with real people.  Children can be little turkeys at times, but I understand why Jesus was so tender towards children and loved them so much.  They are genuine.
At what point in our lives do priorities change?  When do we decide that it's more important to spend every minute "working on" or "doing" something?  I am speaking to myself when I ask this question.  How many times have I been so busy "doing" that I failed to take time for someone?
I think back to the season of my life when I had the privilege of being a hospice nurse.  The precious people I had the opportunity to serve were aware that doctors had projected their course of time on this earth to be nearing an end.  As I think about the conversations I had with my patients, there are two things that always dominated the conversations.  First, they talked about their relationship with God.  They knew that this was the most important thing in their lives, and He is the only reason we have hope and can look forward to what lies ahead for us.  Second, without fail, they talked about their families and friends.  Whether or not they had always had their priorities in order, when their time was drawing to an end, they were able to determine what the important things in life are- God and people.
We can learn some valuable lessons from our little "turkeys", and I learned a lot from my patients who  weren't caught up in the distractions that tend to capture our focus.  The two most important things in life are #1- what have we done with Jesus?, and #2- Other people.
I need to get my priorities straight!  First, I want to love Jesus more every day and get closer to him with every step I take.  Next, I want to love people more. The next time I am working on shirt orders or clinical schedules and a student comes up needing to talk, I hope I will put away the paperwork and focus on that student.  The next time I am at church and I see someone who looks like things are difficult, I hope I will ask him or her "How are You?" and take time to listen to the answer.  The next time someone asks me to pray for him or her, I hope I will stop what I am doing and pray with that person right then, rather than just saying "sure I will".  There are so many opportunities I have missed to help others because I have been too busy or distracted, and I am determined to work on changing that. I want to make a difference with the time God has given me and stop spending so much time on things that really have no real significance.

As we think about the things we are thankful for this month, let us not forget to give thanks for our only Hope and the people He has given us the opportunity to love.  I am thankful for all of you who are reading this blog.  Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement.  I love you!!!