Thanksgiving... a Call to Action
My wife and I have always felt very thankful for the blessings in our lives. We have both had great families, friends, church families, and jobs and the list could go on and on. We have three beautiful girls that brighten our lives and make everyday a new adventure. We are very thankful and know that God has truly blessed us tremendously.
Now we also have had times in our lives when being thankful has been harder to say and feel: when the financial crunch of having a baby hit; when the financial woes of college and early careers were not so enlightening; when the bills were piling up and the money was running out. It's very difficult in those seasons of life to be thankful.
This year we have been fortunate to attend benefit events for both Lifehouse Ministries and Ruth's Cottage and Pattycake House. We have also been able to help with a new Women's Recovery Center in Douglas, Still Waters. Our church, Journey Church, in Tifton also had a service project at Brother Charlie Rescue Center, which helps men. Having learned about all of these organizations and the incredible work they are doing in helping men, women and children makes this Thanksgiving even more special for our family.
Understanding that there are others who are in need and being able to contribute in some small way really does make you more thankful of the blessings you have personally. Being aware of these organizations gives me an outlet for showing care and concern for our fellow citizens. Truly there are numerous other organizations to place assistance both financially, physically and emotional support but I think we need to all understand that we should be active in some way if we can. I paraphrase Luke 12:48 as it says it best .... 'To whomever much is given, much is required.'
If we have been given blessings after blessings then we should feel some obligation to contribute to others. In my humble opinion Thanksgiving is a call to action. I am very thankful for all I have been given and currently have and if possible I want to be a blessing to someone else. As I reflect over my 40 years I can think of the individuals who have poured into my life and the organizations that I have been a part of that have helped me in some way. I want to pay that forward and become that for someone else. I have several family and friends who are not here to celebrate Thanksgiving and will not be cooking and bringing food. I am sad to not see these loved ones. As I sit down tomorrow and bow my head in Thanksgiving I pay tribute to the memory of all of these individuals. My heart is full of memories and love that they gave to me. God help me pass that same love on to others.
jamie
Now we also have had times in our lives when being thankful has been harder to say and feel: when the financial crunch of having a baby hit; when the financial woes of college and early careers were not so enlightening; when the bills were piling up and the money was running out. It's very difficult in those seasons of life to be thankful.
This year we have been fortunate to attend benefit events for both Lifehouse Ministries and Ruth's Cottage and Pattycake House. We have also been able to help with a new Women's Recovery Center in Douglas, Still Waters. Our church, Journey Church, in Tifton also had a service project at Brother Charlie Rescue Center, which helps men. Having learned about all of these organizations and the incredible work they are doing in helping men, women and children makes this Thanksgiving even more special for our family.
Understanding that there are others who are in need and being able to contribute in some small way really does make you more thankful of the blessings you have personally. Being aware of these organizations gives me an outlet for showing care and concern for our fellow citizens. Truly there are numerous other organizations to place assistance both financially, physically and emotional support but I think we need to all understand that we should be active in some way if we can. I paraphrase Luke 12:48 as it says it best .... 'To whomever much is given, much is required.'
If we have been given blessings after blessings then we should feel some obligation to contribute to others. In my humble opinion Thanksgiving is a call to action. I am very thankful for all I have been given and currently have and if possible I want to be a blessing to someone else. As I reflect over my 40 years I can think of the individuals who have poured into my life and the organizations that I have been a part of that have helped me in some way. I want to pay that forward and become that for someone else. I have several family and friends who are not here to celebrate Thanksgiving and will not be cooking and bringing food. I am sad to not see these loved ones. As I sit down tomorrow and bow my head in Thanksgiving I pay tribute to the memory of all of these individuals. My heart is full of memories and love that they gave to me. God help me pass that same love on to others.
jamie
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