“Grateful is our mindset.”
Those of you who follow my weekly messages have probably realized that I follow the list of our core values in order every week. This week, I was supposed to write about the core value “Having fun we get more work done,” but with the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, I changed my mind.
I chose instead to spotlight the core value “Grateful is our mindset.” This seems like the best fit for the overall meaning of Thanksgiving. This holiday reminds us to be thankful for the many blessings we have, and many of us will do so on Thursday, November 24.
Let’s talk about the history of the Thanksgiving holiday for a minute. This holiday started out as a way to give thanks to God for the blessings of the current year’s harvest and give thanks in advance for the next year’s harvest. This tradition has changed a bit over the last few hundred years since most of us do not farm our own food like people used to do.
As a father, I can imagine how great it must have felt to know that the plentiful harvest meant that the family would have enough food to last through winter, and nobody would go hungry. This is something that many of us take for granted in 2022, now that there is a grocery store on almost every corner in the USA.
If you add in the many restaurants and food delivery services we have access to, it’s easy to believe that many of us never think or worry about where our next meal is coming from. Our biggest worry in 2022 is not whether we will eat but what we are “in the mood for” with hundreds of options to choose from.
Nowadays, Thanksgiving is more about getting together with family than it is about food, although food is still a huge part of the day. Many will be excited about the turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and all the homemade desserts. I am grateful that about 30 members of my family will be coming over to my home, and we will give thanks together. It will be an amazing day that I am looking forward to.
The sad part is that although many things have changed over the years, one thing remains the same: Many people in the world will not have a meal on Thursday, or if they do, it will be very small. Many of these hungry people will be children. It brings tears to my eyes to think that any child in 2022 would go hungry, but the reality is that it’s more common than we think.
I am not mentioning this to make any of you feel guilty but rather to remind you to be even more grateful. We take many things for granted, and having access to three meals a day is definitely one of those things. Some people may not have a job, a family, a warm home, or even a comfortable bed.
As you reflect on this, I ask you to remind yourself how lucky you are to have these things. If you are a God-loving person, please give thanks to Him for your blessings.
One thing I will be extra grateful for this year is all of you. Yes, YOU! I do not take for granted the love, support, hard work, and friendship that you all have given me over the years. Also, this year I will be eternally grateful for all the prayers that have been prayed on my personal behalf. It really made a difference. Thank you.
If I have made you think about the things we take for granted daily, then I hope you reflect on that on Thanksgiving Day. Many people will eat their dinner, drink beer, and watch the football game, but many won’t even think about what I have written about today.
Maybe I have also inspired you to help feed a child today. So many are starving around the world. I have no personal ties to any foundation, but I have donated periodically to Feed the Children. If you are interested, consider donating $5 or $10.
The organization has been around for a long time, and 93% of the money they raise goes to the kids. Also, every dollar donated helps them provide about $9 worth of food for the kids.
I would be very grateful if you could donate, but please don’t feel obligated. I just thought that if I inspired you to think about this, I would make it easy and quick for you to feel like you could help. Thank you for reading this week. Thank you for allowing me to serve you every day and for being in my life. I am beyond grateful.
Click here to donate to Feed the Children.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
