Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. A day people look forward to throughout the year. A day to eat turkey and pumpkin pie, and all kinds of side dishes. A day to eat way too much and then watch a football game. I remember cooking for my rather large family for years. Truly I enjoyed all the cooking and preparation, and the wonderful smells from the kitchen, and mostly, the family at the table.
In recent years, my daughters and their families have done the cooking and our gatherings have grown smaller. We are doing our celebration today, the day after the official holiday.
I’m reminded there are many who have no families to celebrate holidays with, and many who are homeless. Thanksgiving Day may not mean the same to everyone that it does to me or to you. Typically, we sit around a table and share the things we are most thankful for before eating. But rarely do we remember there are people who do not have a table. Many who do not have food.
This puts a different perspective on thankfulness. Everything, and I mean everything, we have has been provided by God. We should not take credit for it. God is our provider. A homeless person might be thankful to have a meal at a local mission. A family who cannot afford food for this day might be thankful for a church providing the ingredients. Others, like us, think nothing of having all we can eat.
Today as my family gathers around a table of Thanksgiving offerings, I will be thinking of the most important things in my life. I’ll be thankful for having a roof over my head, family at my side, and most of all for God loving us so much. Thankful I am rich in all that matters.
Carol Ann Erhardt, Author 