By Pastor Leah Fintel Krotz, Trinity Lutheran Church, Bruning
It’s the time of year when everyone is talking turkey. Although some opt for non-traditional Thanksgiving meals, such as chili and cinnamon rolls or pasta, the vast majority of Americans will sit down to some form of a turkey dinner during this time.
Turkeys are native to the United States, and Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey, not the eagle, to become our national bird. Somehow, I’m glad the eagle prevailed; turkeys just don’t seem as majestic or impressive!
When our son, James, was little, he really wanted to raise poultry for 4-H. We started with chickens. It was always fun to look through the catalog from Murray McMurray Hatchery, to choose which breeds and colors we wanted to purchase. One year, we caved and allowed James to order the “Homesteader’s Delight,” which included ten chicks, two ducklings, two goslings, and two turkey poults. That was an adventure! I’m not sure what happened to the turkeys, but I don’t remember butchering them, so I have a feeling they died of natural causes.
My husband grew up on a farm on highway 36, east of Belleville. One time, a turkey flew out of a loaded truck and landed at the end of their driveway. He and his siblings adopted the turkey, which they named “Prettyfeathers.” Prettyfeathers lived a good life on the farm until the holidays, when he ended up where most turkeys do—on the table.
Many people complain that Thanksgiving is being crowded out as a holiday by over-the-top Halloween and too-early Christmas celebrations. Hopefully, that is not the case, because Thanksgiving is a wonderful idea—a day set aside for no other purpose than to thank God for all the ways he has abundantly blessed us. Whether you are enjoying turkey or tuna this Thanksgiving, take time to say thank you.
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever.” ~Psalm 136:1
