Tip of My Iceberg

photo courtesy of Heather Gill on Unsplash

The holidays are approaching, and everyone’s thoughts turn to…

Turkeys!

Turkey is our meat of choice for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s tradition. Growing up, because of our family’s Slavic background, we paired turkey with dumplings and sauerkraut. I thought that was what everyone did.

Until I got married.

The sides have changed, but it’s still turkey in the middle of the table.

This year, I was proactive about purchasing a turkey, not waiting till just the puny birds were left. I got me a big one.

Thirty-one pounds of feathered flavor.

We’ve never had a turkey that large. A few of the grands mentioned that to have a bird that big it probably had been force-fed and couldn’t walk on his own. I have no comment other than I didn’t see him alive.

He was kindly wrapped in plastic, ready to be roasted.

I’m not glorying in the death of a turkey to provide us with a meal or two. But I am glad that we can provide lavishly for our family and friends.

I was asked why I bought such a big turkey. It’s really a reflection of how I want to provide well and abundantly for all who will share our holiday table.

When we think of abundance, comments often follow of excess, being more than we need, more of what the “haves” own and not the “have nots”. Lavishness is often associated with the wealthy, the famous, those who surround themselves with the luxurious.

Have you ever considered what it would look like to be loved lavishly? To have so much love poured out on you that you could never use it up, lose it, or have it taken away? That sounds too good to be true.

One of the greatest desires I had growing up was to know I was loved. My parents were kind, but I always felt as if I didn’t measure up to expectations. I saw myself as less than. It’s hard to receive love when you don’t feel worthy of it.

Then someone explained to me that God loved me and wanted a relationship with me, a fact I found hard to believe. I was told His love was greater than my shortcomings, my failures, my mess. If I received His love, I’d never lose it.

I’d never heard of such a thing. Love that wasn’t based on how good I was or how often I met expectations. My friend shared God’s guarantee of that lavish love.

“And I am convinced that NOTHING can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death or life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us rom God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below–indeed, NOTHING IN ALL CREATION will EVER be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Such unconditional, unrelenting, unending love was more than I could imagine. That Someone who knew me fully could love me that lavishly was beyond my undertanding.

It’s taken years to grasp what this means, and I’m not fully there yet. But knowing I’m loved by God so completely is luxurious comfort, guaranteed assurance that no matter what my circumstances, I’m fully embraced by God.

I can offer my family an extravagant meal with plenty of leftovers–some people prefer the leftovers to the real meal. But the turkey will come to an end–or get too old to eat. No matter how large it is.

God’s love?

There’s more than enough for anyone who longs to be loved and cherished.

With leftovers forever.