It was an atypical Thanksgiving day in Dallas, 1993. I woke up early to get downtown to run in the annual Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot. Sleet and ice were forecasted for later that day. Not a great day in the neighborhood. Later that afternoon, I vividly remember sliding down the street on a sheet of ice to my neighbor's house for a Thanksgiving celebration. I was doing what I love on Thanksgiving...starting the day with the Trot, enjoying a meal with close friends and watching my beloved Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys? A game I'll never forget. Some of you know where I'm going with this. :) The Cowboys were 7-3 and playing the Miami Dolphins. (8-2) They were leading by a score of 14-13 with 15 seconds remaining in the game. The Dolphins were attempting a 41-yard field goal to take the lead but the kick was blocked. While most all of the Cowboys were celebrating like crazy, Leon Lett attempted to recover the ball. He slipped on the ice as he tried to pick up the ball. Miami recovered on the Dallas one-yard line. Had Lett done nothing, the Cowboys would have had possession and won the game. By touching the ball and failing to hold on to it, Lett allowed the Dolphins to take possession, try another kick and win the game. Whether you care about football or not, you gotta feel for the guy. Major mess up on Thanksgiving Day.
I wonder how many times on Thanksgiving Day, Cowboy fans play back that horrible memory. Most of us laugh now. Maybe Leon Lett laughs about it now. I hope so. But,, I bet he didn't mean to make a mistake that day. It just happened. Momentary brain block. Whatever. He thought he was doing a good thing. But, he messed up.
We have such high expectations when it comes to the holidays. We want it all to go well. No fights on the way to Grandma's house. Perfect outcomes with all the food. No long lines at the store. No expectations with family members. Great deals on Black Friday. The holidays can be stressful, even on Thanksgiving. When things mess up for whatever reason, how do we respond?
Today is a great day to put on your Thanksgiving week perspective. Are you going to be the kind of person that others enjoy being around? Grateful? Able to laugh at your mistakes? Gracious to others who make mistakes? Forgiving quickly? Patient with others? Start your week committed to practice not only gratitude, but a way of life that demonstrates a godly and loving character. Don't judge those around you when they don't do what YOU would do. Give people grace. And then some more grace. Love them in spite of messin' up. Cause you know what? We all mess up, sooner or later. Ask Leon Lett. Happy Thanksgiving!
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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