A Thanksgiving Blessing

I just spent a most wonderful few days with my family. In less than a week I was able to be with each one of my children. For some that is a common achievement; for others that is only a dream. I usually fall somewhere in between. But any moment that I am able to be with my kids is a blessed one.

On Thanksgiving we traditionally think of all of the blessings we receive. In the present age, that is getting to be more difficult all the time. It's not that we don't have blessings; in fact, we are inundated with more material things than we can handle. It's that we are so used to having so much that we don't realized how good we have it.

Of course, those people who have lived through difficult times - either going through the depression or living in a country where there is little and it is hard to survive - tend to be overwhelmed by our opulence. We have so much - we can go down to the local grocery store and buy just about anything our stomach desires - and yet we refuse to give to worthy causes just because we don't want to. It's not that we can't - it's just that we won't. We feel we are entitled to what we have and that we deserve to spend it all on ourselves.

I've been thinking of the concept of Thanksgiving. I now question whether my previous understanding was correct. I used to believe that it was a time to be thankful for all that I had. To be grateful that I had bypassed the problems that others had encountered. To count what I had while contrasting that with what others didn't have.

But if we use the original Pilgrims as our example for the first Thanksgiving, they all brought the best of what they had to share with each other. Even when the Indians showed up they brought something to the table that was to be shared. True, they were thankful for all they had, but only to the point that they had something to bring to the potluck.

It is appropriate to give thanks to God for all He has done for us. The question is: what are you going to do with it? Has He blessed you? Now, who are you going to bless? Do you have a warm house? Who will you invite to share it with you? Is there food on your table? Who will enjoy your bounty?

I was blessed to be with my family. Now, who will I bless with all that I have received?

Who will you bless?

God bless you abundantly!