Still Thankful…

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”  Psalm 118:1

Twenty years ago we had a Thanksgiving to remember.  There was an event that affected a lot of people in the DFW area, but my situation was more memorable because of a specific situation.

In the fall of 1993, I had been out of high school for about seven years.  My high school buddies and I had taken up golf (we were terrible).  Someone in the group (maybe me?) set us up to play golf at Rockwood Golf Course the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  Everyone was going to be off of work, and back in town, so it sounded like a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, that day it got cold.  Really, really, cold.  Like in the thirties, with a strong wind, cold.  But, we were young, and dumb and played anyway.  Afterwards we all went to eat at a local Mexican place, had a big time, said our goodbyes and were on our way.  I went back to Flower Mound to take care of the house and dogs that I was sitting, and the next day I was off to Springtown to pick up my girlfriend, who was going to be joining my family and me for Thanksgiving.

That morning as I left Flower Mound, I could tell something wasn’t right with me.  I had this “rumbly in my tumbly” as Pooh Bear would say, only it was not from being hungry if you know what I mean.  I got to Springtown and picked up my date, and by the time we got to my mom’s house I was in full blown food poisoning mode (insert graphic description here).  It was not pretty.

My poor family didn’t really know what to do, so they just carried on with the Thanksgiving celebration, while I was in the back bedroom in the throes of something that my body was trying to rid itself of.  It couldn’t have been worse, a super small house (like 900 sq ft), the smell of delicious food wafting through the house, and me harfing up my last two days of nutrition in a back room. 

Well, just when you think it couldn’t get worse, it does.  Remember how I said it was cold the day before?  That cold front was the beginning of the only Thanksgiving ice storm on record for this area.  Yes, I looked it up, and here is how the NOAA website describes the day:

November 25, 1993 - Freezing rain and sleet fell during a subfreezing afternoon, amounting to 0.3 inches on the ground at DFW Airport. This was the first time that wintry precipitation was ever recorded on Thanksgiving in Dallas/Fort Worth, impacting the annual Thanksgiving Day Dallas Cowboys football game (vs. Miami Dolphins) at Texas Stadium.

Yep, not only am I losing fluid by the gallon, but we’re trapped in this tiny house, with fourteen people, by an ice storm in November!  At least we have enough food!!!

Finally it is decided that maybe I need to go to the hospital.  I can’t say for sure who made the decision, but I can say that it didn’t come until after the roads were fully covered with ice.  My uncle drove a front wheel drive car (not as common in those days), and he volunteered to drive my mom, my girlfriend, and me to the hospital to get some professional care.

Obviously, everything worked out ok that day, because I am here to share this story for you.  But in some ways, it actually worked out better than “ok.”  You see, that poor girl that sat there by my side during that whole ordeal eventually became my wife.  I guess I figured if she would stick around for all that craziness, she must be a keeper.  Ironically, that story happened almost exactly 20 years ago.  We’ve been through some crazy times since, but I can’t imagine how different our lives would be if things had gone differently that weekend (like if she had broken up with me!).

I have so much to be thankful for; My sweet wife who has stuck with me all these years; my two beautiful and talented girls that continue to make me smile every day; and all of the wonderful memories of family and friends we’ve enjoyed since that icy Thanksgiving in 1993.

And of course I don’t want to forget you!  Our lives have been made complete by being able to share them with you, our church family.  We get so much joy from knowing you and going through life together with you.  Thank you for loving us, and for accepting us into your family.  We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

One last thing; Carol Ann has NO IDEA that I am writing this.  In fact, she probably hasn’t even thought about the Great Food Poisoning of ’93 in a while.  If you want to have a little fun with her, ask her about that cold Thanksgiving at my mom’s house when I was so sick.  She’ll be shocked you know about it, and then I’ll be in trouble for telling you!  But hey, that’s what keeps life in the Warren house interesting!

Scripture to Claim:
“I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.”  (Psalm 30:1)

Submitted By Keith Warren