I spent three Thanksgiving Days in the military, two of them away from home. The last Thanksgiving holiday, I was stationed in Augsburg, Germany, and preparing to be discharged just a little over a month from then. As you know, Thanksgiving Day is an American tradition, so there was nothing special happening off base. I was assigned to the 507th US Army Security Agency on Flak Kaserne. Because few could fly home for the holidays in 1969, the base recognized the holiday with a big turkey dinner and a keg of German beer. My office was shut down so the officers could spend time with their families, so there was nothing much to do and no supervisors to see that it got done.

I was reading a book at the time, so most of my Thanksgiving Day was spent consuming that story. To be honest, I don’t remember thinking for one moment of what I was thankful for. I just spent the day doing what I wanted to do and feeling lonely and sorry for myself.

I’m so thankful that a little more than a year later I surrendered my life to Christ and learned what real life is. Now I’m careful to think in terms of thanksgiving to God.

What was your most empty Thanksgiving?

Tags: thanksgiving