NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

April 17

Scripture focus: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 NIV

Marion loved food. She was a great cook. In recent months, as her energy dwindled, her appetite vanished. Eventually, the last great food temptation left for her was anything chocolate. On Tuesday, after she had time to think about her diagnosis, she told us that she wanted a Thanksgiving meal - turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, and chocolate cake for dessert.

I called my girlfriends and said, “I’ve got to find her a Thanksgiving dinner. Who makes those?” (This does not bode well for future family gatherings at my house, does it? My fallback position when it comes to food is that somebody somewhere must have it on the menu.) My two girlfriends who I profoundly trust with food and shopping promised to put their thinking caps on.

By Thursday, I wasn’t sure how much she’d eat of the dinner, but I was warming to the idea of serving Thanksgiving dinner as it is intended to be served – with family. The extended family was arriving in town, and it occurred to me that by Saturday all would be present. We could have one more big family dinner with Nana. The girl grandchildren could decorate, and the boy grandchildren could follow the girls around and do what they told them.

I called my friends. It’s at times like these that it really pays to have friends who are very, very good at going to any lengths to purchase things. And ask for stuff. And organize. Within hours, a party was planned for the family in an activity room down the hall from her room. As it turns out, the party did not turn out as anticipated. By Saturday morning, Marion was already busy doing whatever it is new arrivals in heaven do on check-in day.

Saturday evening, we had our Thanksgiving feast in her memory, rather than her honor. I cannot tell you what a labor of love it was on the part of my friends, who went above and beyond my imaginings in creating the finest Thanksgiving feast ever. It was awesome, and came with a cleanup crew – which I highly recommend as essential ingredients for any holiday party.

A few days later, when I was thinking about all the future events that are going to seem so strange without her presence at the table, my heart leapt at the realization that one “first” was already done – we’d already celebrated our first Thanksgiving without her.

In the face of loss, life does go on. But I can’t imagine proceeding without the gift of friends who know how to lay down their lives in love.


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