Corrina and the Cranberry Sauce

My plan almost worked. The plot was calculated with military-like precision. For some, it’s a Thanksgiving meal. For me, it was a battle field. The target; Cranberry Sauce. I’m a preacher for 364 days a year, but on Thanksgiving Day, I turn into a C.S. I. (Cranberry Sauce Inhaler.)
I’ve loved Cranberry Sauce for as long as I can remember. It was love at first bite. Thanksgiving Days are made for Cranberry Sauce. I usually could have all the Cranberry Sauce I wanted until Corrina joined our family. My sister-in-law loves Cranberry Sauce as much as I do! The battle has been raging every since.
This year would be the year I would get the Cranberry Sauce next to my spot at the table, so I could lunge for it after the prayer. On of the benefits of being the family preacher, is that I know in advance when the “Amen” is coming. I’m six-foot one, which means I have about a six foot wing span. If I sat at the middle of the table, I could use the old “boarding house reach” (one foot has to remain on the floor). That Cranberry Sauce would be easy to snatch. As I said, it was a fool proof plan, except my brother-in-law, Frank, got sick.
Frank, Penni, (Joni’s sister) and daughter Heather are living at my Mother-in-laws house. Frank normally sits at the head of the table, and that leaves me free to sit more toward the middle and be within easy Cranberry cruising range. But last Thursday, Frank was sick and downstairs in bed. Being the next in line in succession, I found myself at the head of the table, leaving Corrina to take plot her own Cranberry Sauce strategy. She won the spot in the middle, a mere 5 inches from the Cranberry Crown of victory. She won this year. Next year, we vowed to each bring two cans; one for each holster. It will be the Cranberry Shootout at the Ocean Spray Corral.
As I sat at the head of the table, mourning my Cranberry Catastrophe and drowning my sorrows in dressing and gravy, a thought occurred to me.
Our family table has changed over the years. Some changes are sad, such as losing my Father-in-law, Dick Winchell who died in 1998. I greatly loved, admired and respected him and it always seems weird when I sit at his spot at the table. But I realized the blessings of that spot. He had a Dad’s eye view of the family. There are good changes at the table. Joni and I have a new daughter-in-law, Britiney. Corrina and Will have a new son, Eli Woodrow. Actually, my eight month old newest nephew was a critical part of my battle plan. I was counting on Corrina being busy with the King of Cute, so I could make my way through the Ocean Spray Obstacle course, and spirit away the Cranberry Sauce. As I pondered the changes in our family table, I wondered about myself. I’ve changed over the years. I’m a little grayer, and more Cranberry shaped, thanks to the roughly 175 pounds of Ocean Spray I’ve consumed over the years. (Give or take). As a Christians, we need to be more concerned about a different kind of fruit. Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. I need to myself, “Am I more loving, kind, and gentle in the time since Corrina’s and my last Cranberry Combat? Do people see the fruit of Christ in my life? Am I improving in each of these areas? I hope so. I hope to consume more of Christ this year, and to bear His fruit in my life. In the meantime, just keep passing that Cranberry Sauce!