M.J. Abell Farm

This is, and has always been, my favorite holiday. The older I get, the more important this day becomes to me, but I also realize that every day should be treated like Thanksgiving. Not the food, of course–that’s not sustainable–but the mindset.

Psalm 107:8-9 says, “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” These blessings are not limited to one or two days out of the year–they’re extended to all the other days, as well. In addition, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 instructs us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I will be the first, but certainly not the only, to tell you that it is hard sometimes to be thankful. In 2021, I was going through a very difficult time. For those that don’t know me well personally, and for those that are total strangers, here’s the short version:
After a year of research and prayers, as well as financial scenario projections and comparisons, I made the decision to take a job in Eastern NC and sell my house in Western MD (only about 7 miles from where I currently live). This would mean moving my son (then 8) to a new state, new home, new town, new school, new routine. I found a house that was shockingly similar to the one I’d be selling. I took a job at a rural school where my son would be able to attend, even though we’d be living out of district. The cost of living there was (and is) far less expensive than where we were leaving, so my salary would’ve gone farther…not to mention, my son would be given the opportunity to earn his associate’s degree during high school, at no extra cost, meaning that if he chose to continue to college, we would only have to pay for 2 years rather than 4. This was HUGE. In addition, I was moving us to one of the safest towns I could find…

Well. Things did not go as planned.

My house sold quickly. The FHA financing for the other house came through slowly. And I had to go to court for a custody hearing before the financing came through. My ex wound up with temporary custody and then, a few weeks later, primary custody.

I spent 3 months as a NC resident in a town I loved, at a school I enjoyed with students I was growing accustomed to (it was middle school, and it was a big adjustment from teaching high school), but everything had a dark shadow over it because my son had been taken from me. I called Mike in tears one afternoon and told him I needed to come back to MD…I could not handle being separated from my son. So, I moved back. With no home to return to (because I had sold it), my only option was to move in with Mike. So I did. Not ideal based on biblical teachings, but definitely ideal based on economic factors.

It took me a long time to make peace with everything, but the more I thought about it and the more I tried to encourage my son, the clearer things became.
My main goals were to: 1) get us out of Hagerstown before it got really bad, and 2) work in the same district where my son attends school. Both of these have been achieved, though not in the way I pictured.

Even so, I am thankful for how things (eventually) unfolded. Selling the house in NC allowed me to wipe out some crippling debt. Moving back up north allowed me to get back in to the school I had left when I went to NC, and opened the door to another school in the district where my son attends. My status as a teacher in that district allowed me to get him into the safer middle school, right next door to the high school were I teach. I see him every morning & every afternoon now, Monday through Friday, as well as the weekends and holidays he’s scheduled to spend with our family.

Even though it was an ugly turn of events, God satisfied my longing soul.

So, if you are struggling with something that seems insurmountable, just remember Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Happy Thanksgiving.