Transcript
Hope your Thanksgiving is blessed with grateful hearts, Traditionally Thanksgiving has been reserved for family and close friends where we spend the entire day together, eating our abundance of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, watching football and of course the nice conversations talking about our lives, our children and grandchildren, just enjoying each others company. Today for many of us, we will reminisce of those wonderful times, how much we miss our families and loved ones. Today can be a challenging and difficult day. For myself personally, early into my incarceration thanksgiving was one of the hardest time for me. I would begin with how much I missed my family, how much I wanted to be home to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. That would then lead me into evaluating my past choices which was the sole reason for the separation from family. I remember how disappointed I would be with myself. Over the years I have come to understand not to dwell on the bumps in the road of life, and be grateful for what we do have. I've come to realize that not once did GOD ever promise that we would not face difficult times. What GOD did promise is that if we believe and trust in him, he would see us through those difficult times. I have found this to be so true, just look at when the Pilgrims first came to this land, they were blessed with the Native Americans who helped them adjust to this land and they both ended learning and helping each other. GOD has his way of placing the right people in our lives and works his promise through others. God has blessed us with our Chaplains who have been so instrumental in helping us find the right path in life and has blessed us with each other. We lean on each other during troubled times, we rely on one another for advise, encouragement and we keep each other in check when in need. We can count on each other while we await returning home with family. This is god keeping his promise. Being separated from family during the thanksgiving holiday can give us a lonely feeling. Today is a day we can thank god for the wonderful memories of past Thanksgivings with family, and balance the day with being thankful for having each other, and continue on the path of leading by example and being there for one anther just like God intended. I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and God bless you and your families. October 4, 2019 John Lewis Gerholt, Sr.
