Why did the turkey cross the road?

In a rather campy TV show (now a motion picture) one of the prominent characters used to remark, "I love it when a plan comes together." I agree.  Unfortunately they do not often come together for me in the precise way that I imagine. 

Christmas can be such a stressful time.  But I was determined this year to have a relaxed Christmas.  It started out well enough.  Morning coffee with cinnamon roles, the family opening gifts, and a little Bing Crosby on the stereo.  Pleasant enough.  It continued well as I made stuffing and stuffed my turkey - extra stuffing placed in a Corning Ware dish to bake later.  By 9:30 the bird was stuffed and in the oven, extra stuffing in a dish in the fridge, and I was relaxing with hot tea in front of a fire.  It was going well - perhaps too well.

That's when it happened.  The power went out.  For years the electric companies have sought to convince us that electricity is inexpensive and reliable as a power source.  So, yes, our house is all electric.  Christmas morning, 24 degrees outside and the turkey and two pies in the oven and the power is out.  At least we had the fireplace for warmth.  But after an hour, I was concerned about the status of the turkey sitting partially cooked (it had cooked about an hour when the power went off) in a rapidly cooling oven.  With no signs that the power was coming back soon, I made an executive decision.  I told my wife that I thought I ought to carry the bird up to the church (about 5 minutes away) and put it in the oven there until our power came back.  How did I know the church had power?  As it turned out there was a large area of our fair town without power, but no, the church had power - I called the office on my cell phone and the answering machine picked up (it's electric).  So I bundled up, covered the turkey roasting pan, and armed with plenty of potholders, I set off for the church in my truck.

I had only had the turkey in the church oven for about 20 minutes when I received a text message: "the power is back on." Wonderful.  But what to do?  Just sit there by myself and allow the turkey to finish cooking in the church oven (another 2.5 hours or a bit more) or take a chance, take it home, and hope the power remained on.  What would you do?  It was Christmas after all, and I wanted to be with my family.  So, the turkey made the trek back to the house, bundled in its roasting pan and nestled into a bevy of potholders.  With the turkey safely ensconced in our oven, I had just settled into my favorite chair with another cup of tea and my new book when, you guessed it, the power went out again.

After about forty-five minutes of mounting anxiety about the power, I decided I could cook the turkey on the grill.  I built a fire and stoked it high, letting it begin to settle into a nice even bed of coals.  Then the tom moved from our oven to the grill.  Alas, it was very cold outside that day, with a stiff wind creating additional wind chill, and while the grill was working, it wasn't able to maintain even heat.  As I was losing my religion and my wife was suggesting taking the turkey back to the church, our eldest daughter arose from her nap and asked what all the fuss was about.  She has moved into her own place recently and assured us that she had power at her house.  "I want to shower and change anyway (she'd spent the night with us despite the fact she lives only a few blocks from us), so I can take the turkey and put it in my oven while I do that and then bring it back when I come." Problem solved.

Again bundled in its roasting pan and nestled in potholders, I sent the bird to her house.  Of course, about 15 minutes later the power came back.  I texted and told her the power was back but thought she should just keep the bird there until she was ready and then bring it back.  By then, it should be fully cooked.  I turned back to preparing the other items of our feast, my heart much lighter.  About fifteen minutes later, our youngest daughter who had left to visit friends came back in and asked if I would hold the door while she brought the turkey in. 

"How did you get the turkey?"
"I stopped at Em's on the way back and she sent it with me?"
Wow. Okay.

Sooo, once again the turkey took up residence in our oven.  But thanks be to God and the power company, the power stayed on and the rest of the meal preparation was uneventful.  Despite the turkey's many travels, it came out very well and the meal was excellent (even if I do say so myself).  Sometimes there are ups and downs and unexpected difficulties on the path we must travel.  It can be frustrating, maddening, and we can feel helpless and at the mercy of the cosmic chaos.  But if we trust in our God, if we trust that God is in control, then we must be confident that, in the end, it will turn out to be what God wants it to be.  Max Ehrmann writes in his poem "Desiderata" that "whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."

In Isaiah 43:1-7, the prophet assures us that when (not if, but when) we encounter hardship, chaos and difficulty the Lord will be there to keep us.  My Christmas adventures with the turkey taught me a valuable lesson - one that I do really know, but sometimes forget - God is present in the world working in all things to achieve the purposes that serve Him.  No matter how tough the road we travel, the Lord is still there to bring us to the place we belong, in Him.

Blessings for the New Year!!