Mary In The Kitchen: Thanksgiving 2011

Non-foodies everywhere are quaking in their boots, and while the audience in the kitchen today might be made up primarily of those who savor the challenge ahead with a string of major holidays, let me be the one to call for some sanity.

In my world, hosting a major family gathering usually guarantees that my heart rate and stress level will soar while my family’s appreciation of those things will plummet.

Is it worth it?

Well, really, yes. I guess it is. And one of the things that reminds me not to take myself so seriously is Mary herself.

She is surely the patron for the disheveled hostess. Picture her in Bethlehem, only a few hours post-partum when a crew of scraggly shepherds and probably half the town show up.

It wasn’t a family dinner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if somehow she found a way to offer what she had with not only generosity, but a cheerful smile as well.

There’s a lot for me to learn from that.

This Thanksgiving and throughout this holiday entertaining season, I’m going to picture Mary at the Nativity whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed or overburdened.

When all I hear are complaints and demands, I’m going to think about the chorus of angels and the shepherds’ response to them–they ran to see Jesus, of course! And so should I!

May your gratitude grow as you cling to Mary this week and always, and you follow her to her Son.

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