It's 8:11 am. and I have been up most of the night working on our smoked turkey. Here at the Zockoll household we present two turkeys to our guests, a smoked turkey and an in-the-stove turkey. The smoked turkey is coming along fine, but I'm chilled from having to dodge out into the night air and throw in more charcoal, clad only in my pajamas. I am so thankful for the many things that God has placed in my life. I can think of at least four times in my youth that I could have been killed and never have enjoyed the opportunity of a life getting to see blessings here on earth.
As a kindergartner, I was swimming at a band camp that my father was hosting, and got caught in the middle dividing line rope of the pool and went straight to the bottom. They had to pump the water out of me.
Then, as an eight-year old (I don't think anyone in my family, my mom or anyone else knows of this to this day) I was downtown, trying to figure out a way to cross the busy main street of Dallastown, PA after running to a friend's house to play. I looked to my right and started to sprint across the street when after only one step, I heard screeching to my left. I turned and saw a delivery van sliding towards me with the driver standing on his brakes. I was almost hit, and it surely would have been fatal at the rate he was moving.
Then there was the time in Delaware that I jumped off the front hood of a moving car that was doing about thirty five (stupid teenage goofing around - I slid about twenty feet on my back) and the time the policeman almost shot me as I was running away after breaking the law and turned a corner - I almost ran into the officer, who had his gun drawn (one of the incidents that led to my salvation).
Thankful, that, despite my stupidity, I am still alive to enjoy my beautiful wife Jill and my wonderful children, Nicholas, Peter and Julianne.
Thankful for an amazing church, West Park Baptist Church. Thankful for friends. Thankful for my great job at CAK.
Most of all, I am thankful for Jesus. I mean it. I am stunned by His love. I am truly thankful. Thank you, Savior.
