Giving Thanks

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village Voice

“Giving Thanks”

           The temperatures are changing, the leaves turned their beautiful colors, and the clocks have been returned to standard time.  Yes, it is the time of year when our attention turns to the holidays.  First up, Thanksgiving!

           What is your holiday tradition?  Will you be traveling to spend Thanksgiving with family or friends, or will you be hosting a group?  Either way, there will be lots of laughter and hugs.  If pets are in the house, they will be underfoot just waiting on the unsuspecting child to accidentally let some of their food hit the floor.  Then comes the cleanup of the kitchen and everyone sits around complaining how they ate too much!  Thanksgiving traditions are something to look forward to, and look back on and laugh, smile, and maybe shed a tear for those who have passed away this past year.

How do traditions get started?  Maybe they started a long time ago with grandparents or even great grandparents.  You can tell when the mashed potatoes are compared to granny’s, or stuffing has to be just like mom made.  These are wonderful thoughts, but I ask – why not start new traditions?

There are people in our neighborhoods who will be spending Thanksgiving alone.  They are the elderly, the divorced, or even the single student living far away from family.  What prevents us from reaching out to these people?  Is it pride?  Is it because we don’t want to change our traditions?

Jesus reached out to the lowest, the dirtiest, the outcast, and many others.  He loved people and loved on people.  Some of these people had heard about Him, and others didn’t have a clue who Jesus was, such as the Samaritan woman at the well.  He didn’t miss an opportunity to bless the people who really needed it.  He didn’t care if they were Jewish, Samarian, Greek, or some other ethnic origin.  Jesus treated everyone as if they really mattered.

During this holiday season, let’s all of us be thankful for what God has blessed us with.  We should enjoy our traditions, but we should also share the love we have for each other as creations of God.  If these people are not Christians, imagine the impact these acts of kindness will have on them?  Remember, Jesus didn’t care what people looked like, where they came from, or even what their sin was – He just loved on them.

Give thanks, share thanks, and share Christ!  What a wonderful way to give thanks not just during the holidays, but every day of the year!