I looked over my shoulder and saw a glint of light. It looked like a hand reaching up out of the ground. I stopped and looked more closely. It was a broken picnic table next to a pile of other broken tables. I immediately wrote it off as a careless pile of junk and shook my head at the laziness of the park maintenance department for not hauling the trash off, instead of just piling it in the middle of the park. Later, while on our annual after turkey walk, I got close enough to the metal pile to realize the true story. This was a picnic cluster and a huge tree had fallen on top of the tables. It was a big tree. I wondered when it had happened. Were people in the park? Were people near the tables? Were people at the tables?
As I stood looking at the wreckage I thought a lot about this last year. It has been a year of disruptions, interruptions and tragedy. Where people are standing in relation to the situation seem to influence what they think about the problems. When I saw the twisted metal from far off I thought it was a laziness problem. When I saw it up close I realized how dangerous and random the destruction was.
My nuclear and extended family are of one mind that Covid is real and that we needed to be very careful this thanksgiving. We decided to reshape our celebration. First, while for years the family has come to Athens, we headed to the Metroplex. One of our group is in the medical field and was on call. They have seen some of the worst of Covid so they were especially careful. Second, while we had several indoor options, we chose to do our meal 100% outside. Third, about 6 weeks ago I began to search for a gazebo or cover pavilion in a park in the Dallas area so we could be outside, but out of the weather, I finally found one and rented it. It could seat 200. We were expecting 20. Four, everyone committed to wearing masks except while eating. Therefore, when eating, we seated all relational bubbles 10 feet away from the other groups. We are a loud family, so we talked together, just further apart. Five, We all wore gloves and masks while dishing up the food.
Three of our group still decided they did not feel comfortable gathering and we so missed them, but those of us who came felt safe. We invited 2 people to join us who were unable to return to their families on the East Coast. It was such fun to meet new people, even if we only saw the top of their faces. Cindy provided crafts. We all personalized ours and had a gallery showing to marvel at each other's creativity.
We took turns telling about the last year. A bunch of trees have fallen on to the lives of our family and friends. death, loss of jobs, relocation, depression. Still, most found something to be thankful for in the midst of this storm-new friends, more time with family, moments of surprising joy, retirement, jobs. For some this has not been the worst year, but one of the best.
I’m not sure what happens when a tree falls in the forest, but when it falls on a society we have to adapt and change or be lost. I’m thankful that our church has adopted a life giving, live honoring posture to Covid. I'm thankful for a staff team that has done amazing work. I’m thankful for technology that has allowed us to film and show worship. I’m so thankful that God is standing right beside us today.