“I always thank my God for you because of His grace given to you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge.” 1 Corinthians 1:4-5
What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
This question caused me to stop and think this year. How do I perceive Thanksgiving? What are the most important parts of Thanksgiving? Of course turkey and the wide range of food on the menu for that day comes to mind, along with the shopping that follows on Friday. But it’s so much more than that. The most important part is truly wearing an attitude of thankfulness; for the ability to walk, breathe, talk, spend time with my family, the list goes on. It’s the things I take for granted everyday. And on a day like Thanksgiving, even the meal itself or the place in which I will enjoy that meal, can become routine. As I reflect, I am beyond grateful and blessed to have a family and loved ones surrounding me each year on Thanksgiving, a time where we can come together in fellowship and eat a meal. A time where we eat so much where we go out to shop the next day in order to exercise off what we ate the day before.
This year, I wanted to create an opportunity for those who typically do not have a Thanksgiving meal or a place to enjoy it, those very two things. While I enjoy the fellowship and food on Thanksgiving, it has become apparent that isn’t the case for hundreds of families in my community. Whether it’s financial barriers to sharing the same kinds of food as I get to, or the relational barriers to sharing a meal with a group of people who loves them and they love in return, this simply isn’t happening in every home and with every family.
2 Corinthians 9:11 encourages generosity to overtake us: “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
The type of generosity Paul is talking about here, urged me to take action this Thanksgiving; to allow and to create an opportunity for others in my community to feel thankful this season. In partnership with the local church and food bank, we are seeking to provide a care package for 30 families. An opportunity for families who maybe couldn’t otherwise afford it, experience the joy of Thanksgiving both through community and a meal. Our desire is to simply play a role in someone else’s life, giving them a reason to be thankful and feel loved and valued. I have challenged myself to be that reason. And I challenge you in the same way: what can you do to invest into the lives of those around you this Thanksgiving? To show your neighbors that they are loved and valued?
“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9
