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. 2nd Corinthians 9:11
As I sit here, pen poised to paper, (well, fingers to keyboard anyway) my heart is overjoyed at the thought of this coming Thanksgiving. This will be the first Thanksgiving in years that our immediate family will be together.
I think about the many Thanksgivings we have celebrated over the years and the relationships that have formed as we have shared with others. We have been on both sides of the spectrum, inviting others to be a part of our family, and having others open their doors and hearts to share with us.
I remember the first Thanksgiving my husband and I shared as a married couple. We were living in Springfield, Missouri where my husband was attending Bible College. Home was back in Michigan. I was not looking forward to the approaching holiday as we had no money to make the long trip home and very few friends where we were at.
I don’t remember how it all came about, but someone we knew from our home state, offered us a free ride home. The only condition was that we had to ride in the back of his covered, but unheated pick-up truck and we couldn’t tell the two paying passengers up front about the arrangement. The only way any of them could afford to make the trip home was to share the cost of the gas.
I was so excited I would have agreed to ride on the top of the truck if it meant I could be together with family. We piled blankets into the bed of the truck, dressed in our warmest winter weather gear and climbed in. It was so cold, but we were so thankful for this opportunity. This young man gave out of what little he had to bless us.
Over the years, my family has always seemed to have a few extra guests at the Thanksgiving table. There is something about inviting people in to share your holiday traditions that takes your friendship to a new level. On both sides of our particular family, this meant interacting with a very large group of people. My husband comes from a family of nine, and I am the middle child in a family of 6, once you add in the spouses, and grandchildren, it could be a bit overwhelming! We have grown to the point where we can’t gather with extended family any longer and have had to create new traditions within our immediate families. However, my guess would be that there are still a few extras at many of those tables.
About six years ago, we had to move far away for my job. Getting home for the short Thanksgiving break was not feasible. We were so thankful for our church family and those who invited us to share in their celebrations.
I believe it was our third year away that we decided to host Thanksgiving in our home. We joined together with others who didn’t have family in the area. Never being one to do anything small, my husband purchased both a turkey and a ham. We had so much food left at the end of the day. God had blessed us so abundantly over the years, from that very first Thanksgiving where we had nothing, to that particular day when our refrigerator was overflowing.
My husband felt that we were to give generously and bless those who were less fortunate, so we purchased bread, paper lunch sacks, chips and bottled water and made up lunches from all the leftovers. We took the lunches to an area where homeless people often gathered and handed them out. My heart was very full as I watched the look on their faces as they received the food.
What is God asking of you this Thanksgiving holiday? Is it to offer a ride to a poor college student? To open your doors to someone who doesn’t have family to celebrate with? To purchase a turkey for a family less fortunate? Or perhaps to give out of your abundance to bless others? Whatever that looks like, I know that as you are obedient, God will pour back in to your life.
I pray that your hearts will be filled with thanksgiving and the joy of knowing Him.
Have a blessed holiday,
Jean