We are doing our 3rd annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner at St James this year. My family, including my mom, have been part of it since the first year. I have to admit, it is 3 days away and I was feeling overwhelmed this morning. I tend to get overwhelmed about things when I lose my focus on why I am doing them. Thanks to Jen's Post - http://unglazed.blogspot.com/2008/11/joy.html - I am now remembering what is important about this dinner.
My family LOVES doing it - Jake is always in charge of the servers, and being the little control freak that he is, he THRIVES at his job! Reagan, who is my quiet, reflective kid, has always just helped where needed and doesn't much like to be in the spotlight or play some huge roll. Yesterday she said everyone at school and church have been talking about their Thanksgiving plans. She said, "I am so glad we do what we do to celebrate Thanksgiving. It seems to have so much more meaning. I love that we all come from different walks of life, and different churches, but by the end of the day it feels like family." She is so right.
So, I am going to stop this minute stressing about the groceries and the cooking and if we will have enough food. I am going to remember it is about coming together and serving people that are lonely, or hungry. It is about those of us who have more then we should and those of us who don't have what they need, meeting on common ground. It is about being Christ's hands and his feet. It is about hugging the widow that is alone this year, or the divorced dad that is alone for Thanksgiving for the first time in years, or the homeless lady that hasn't bathed in a long while. It is about loving these people, just as others have loved me when I needed it most, but maybe didn't even deserve it, but they did it anyway.
Thanks Jen, it really isn't even about the turkey at all. It is about all of us coming together, the atheist and the christian, the poor and the rich, the young and the old and loving each other right where we are.
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5 comments:
Michele - what a generous and loving way to spend Thanksgiving w/ your family by helping others out! And what great compassionate lessons you have taught your children. I had told my hubby that next year I would like to take my stepson to a soup kitchen for Thanksgiving to help out - it's important to be grateful for what we have and to help others in need.
I hope your Thanksgiving is blessed and wonderful!!
Truly lovely.
Shelley - you guys should do it, it is so fun!
Citizen - I consider that a true compliment coming from you
awwww this is beautiful. You have a much better way of expressing this than I do.
Isn't it wonderful how the giver of a gift recieves joy as well as the receiver.
Jen - so true
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