10 DAYS AND COUNTING!
That’s right, at the time of this writing it is 10 days till the Thanksgiving Feast!
I look forward to this time of the year. My favorite hobby is eating. I am a large man and it takes a lot to fill me up. At the present time I am 6’4’’ and weigh just over 300 pounds. My Daddy used to say I would have been over seven feet tall had it not been for God turning so much down for my size 16 feet.
It takes a lot of food to maintain my shape (round)! I’m not a picky eater, and if you are around when I’m eating you will notice that I enjoy food.
Some times I am enjoying it so much that I do not use proper table manners. My family has a saying that is used often times with me when it comes to eating, “Don’t embarrass the family!”
One time I was performing a doctor’s wedding ceremony and they were having an elaborate rehearsal dinner at the local country club. My daughter had served as a baby sitter for members of the doctors’ family and not only did she know them from church but she knew them on a more personal basis.
We walked into the dining room, and the tables had fine china and forks, spoons, and knives laid out in an orderly fashion. I said to my family look at all that wasted stuff. I only need one fork, one spoon, one knife, and my 10 fingers! Debbie began to get real nervous and she said, “Daddy don’t embarrass the family, just eat with what I eat with.”
I told her that would certainly be embarrassing if I left all them utensils laying there and waited for her to finish so I could use hers. She said for me to use the one in the same location at your plate as is at mine. Debbie was only 14 at the time and she could not enjoy the meal because she was afraid that I was going to do something embarrassing.
Another time my family had come to visit with me at a revival out of town. Each night I had supper at a different family’s home before the services. As we pulled into the driveway of the beautiful country home, my wife Deborah reminded me of my manors and told me not to embarrass the family.
The Lady of the house had prepared a great country cooked meal. As I looked the table over, I began to think that I had died and gone to heaven. I placed my napkin in my lap, I said the blessing and began to help myself. My wife had the most pleasant look on her face as she watched how well mannered I was being. She was so proud of me until, I blew it!
I was practically finished when I realized that I still had a little pea soup on my plate. So I politely forked myself a roll from the basket. I split the roll in half, and took one half and began to move it from one end of the plate to the other soaking the pea soup up.
As I bit into the roll I felt a kick under the table. I looked across the table to see my wife shaking her head as if to say No. I then took the other half and started to do the same and with that I received an even harder kick and a more intense no sign.
As we got in our car to go to the church I enquired as to why she was kicking me. Her words were, “You big dummy you don’t sop in public!” Immediately I said, “You listen to me woman, the Bible says that Jesus sopped with the disciples and that was all I was doing was sopping with the disciples!”
This Thanksgiving let me encourage you to enjoy the food, family, and fellowship. Be sure to thank God from whom all blessings flow. Also it’s okay if you sop. Just tell them Pastor Danny says Jesus did!!!