There’s no better time than Thanksgiving Day to reflect and give thanks for the wonderful blessings surrounding us. Sometimes those blessings arrive in unexpected ways and become great life lessons.
These Angels on Earth stories show us that no matter the circumstance, there is always something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.
An Angelic Thanksgiving
Lonnie Parker-Janszen was having a difficult time enjoying Thanksgiving without her late mother, whose hallmarks were food and family. After dinner, Lonnie and her husband, Andrew, decided to drive to the cemetery where her mom was buried.
Upon arriving, they missed the entrance and were having trouble finding the road back. Before they knew it, they were lost. As they continued to drive through the neighborhood, they saw a big yellow “Garage Sale” sign.
“A garage sale on Thanksgiving Day?” Lonnie said.
Andrew shrugged. “Why not?”
Realizing they wouldn’t make it to the cemetery in time before the approaching storm, they stopped at the yard sale, where Lonnie stumbled upon something that turned out to be a gift from above.
Read Lonnie’s story, “An Angelic Thanksgiving” here.
An Angelic Thanksgiving Visitor
It was Thanksgiving in 1928 and snow continued to pile up in the high country of West Virginia, where Maxine Bersch and her family lived. They looked forward to Thanksgiving every year, as it was one of the few times they had a houseful of guests, before the winter made it difficult for family members to visit their house. They lived nearly two miles off the main road.
“Looks like it’s just going to be us this year,” Maxine’s mom said disappointedly.
Much to their surprise, a tall, well-dressed man named Mr. Goodman arrived at their front door. Maxine’s parents welcomed him in, after learning he had set out on foot once the trains stopped running. They enjoyed his company during dinner and after an evening well spent, they all went to bed. What they woke up to the following morning was something Maxine has reflected on every Thanksgiving since.
Read Maxine’s story “An Angelic Thanksgiving Visitor” here.
An Unusual Thanksgiving Dinner
After weeks of prepping for Thanksgiving dinner at her house, Roberta couldn’t have been more excited to have her entire family over in just a couple of days. But then her dad called.
“Change of plans,” he announced. “Your mother and I are taking everyone to Shoney’s for Thanksgiving.”
Roberta was mortified. Thanksgiving at a chain restaurant? What were her parents thinking? Disapprovingly, Roberta showed up at Shoney’s for Thanksgiving dinner. Little did she know how thankful she’d be for the restaurant, the waitresses and, of course, her family’s change of plans.
Read Roberta’s story “Thanksgiving Dinner at Our Place” here.
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