Not just Thanksgiving… Thanks GIVING!
Thanksgiving is such an interesting word. It is a time to give thanks, historically, for what God has blessed us with. But how brilliant is it to have the word “giving” tagged on to the end! While we are giving thanks for what we have, we need to give to those who are not as blessed.
… When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. Luke 12:48
Many of us have so much more than we need. We live in a world filled with lost souls, homeless people and hungry bellies. It is so easy to close our eyes to this need, settle in after a huge turkey dinner and sleep the afternoon away.
But folks, if you are reading this you are blessed. You are blessed to have a computer. You are blessed with eyesight, and the ability to read. And I dare say, your blessings go farther than that.
It’s time to share the wealth.
It doesn’t have to be money. What about time? The Salvation Army is in desperate need nationwide for bell ringers. No skills required, just the willingness to ring a bell and smile at passers-by. Donations nationwide are down, not just because of the economy but because of a lack of people volunteering to ring the bell.
If you don’t want to stand in the cold, how about hosting an “on-line” red kettle for the organization? For information, visit this link.
Need other ways to donate? How about looking for old blankets in your home and taking them to a homeless shelter? Or joining in a canned food drive? Why not select a child from an angel tree, and make someone’s Christmas special? Or spend time at a senior citizen’s home, just talking. Many of these elderly have no family, and long for company.
But perhaps this is the most radical thought of all: Don’t limit your giving to the holidays. We all seem to jump on board in November/December. Guess what? There are 10 other months, months that have just a much need for love, caring, and heartfelt donations as the holiday season.
November 28th, 2008 at 10:52 am
That ’s right Linda, this is the way we can show Jesus to the world.
The other day a Muslim man showed up at my doorstep wanting money for a driver ’s license He looked healthy and well-dressed and I knew he was not telling me the whole truth.I did not give him the entire amount but I did not send him away empty handed as he had knocked at a Christian ’s house. I wanted him to remember that a Christian woman helped him in what way she could.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:40 am
right linda post