Waiting for turkey

Jesus, help me remember it's okay to be impatient about Thanksgiving dinner -- and about seeing you someday! Amen.

"Watch out!" Jesus said. "You don't know when I'm coming back. I'm like a man who leaves on a trip, puts his servants in charge and tells them to watch for his return. Watch, because you don't know if the master of this house will come at midnight or sunrise. If I come back suddenly, I'd better not find you sleeping. Watch!"

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a great holiday: food, football and parades on TV, families getting together. The only problem with Thanksgiving is waiting for all the food to be ready!

Jesus knew all about waiting impatiently. In fact, in this week's Gospel (Mark 13:33-37), He advises us to do just that.

Some kids spend Thanksgiving Day asking over and over, "Is it time to eat yet?" You know the food will be good, but it seems to take forever to cook -- and a lot of grownups who do the cooking won't start the meal until everything is ready. You watch the kitchen like a hawk, looking for signs that it's time to eat!

That's basically what Jesus told us to do in the Gospel story -- except He wasn't talking about Thanksgiving dinner, but about the time when He will come back to the world.

Jesus compared Himself to a man on a trip and said we're like servants waiting for Him to come home. If we watch closely for signs that Thanksgiving dinner will be ready soon, Jesus wanted us to watch even more impatiently for signs that He's coming back.

Being "on the alert" on Thanksgiving Day might mean you get the first scoop of mashed potatoes just when you think you can't wait another minute to eat.

Jesus wanted us to be just as alert for when He'll come back -- even if it's in the middle of the night.