thankful

So, what is Thanksgiving?  Is it just another holiday?
   

Is it a time when family and friends come together for a meal, eat way too much, talk, share, laugh, reminisce, take a nap, play football, watch the parades, get ready for Black Friday?  Or maybe the meal is rice and canned beans?  A peanut butter sandwich? 

But, what about... The homeless man?  The hungry child with no food.  The widow down the street?  The family living in poverty?  The mother in jail?  The young orphan longing for a family?  The baby dying from cancer?  The one who has no family?  The one who has lost everything?  The pregnant teenager alone and scared?  The boy who is abused?  The man who is unloved?  The one who has given up on life?    The soldier fighting overseas?  The frail man in the nursing home?  The wife who is beaten?  The one without a job?  The parents who can’t afford a coat? The lonely couple across town?   

Now, imagine each of these are you.  Okay, how thankful would you be?  Honestly.  Seriously.  

Tomorrow is Thursday...Thanksgiving.  Many us will overindulge, many of us will go hungry, many of us will be all alone.  What about me?  Tomorrow, I’ll be with family, sit in a comfortable chair, enjoy the Thanksgiving meal, maybe take a nap, check out the sales papers. 

Personally, I can count my many blessings one-by-one into eternity.  Shouldn’t I be a blessing to others?  Share the love of God to others?   It stabs my heart when I know, especially as a Christian, this is not how Jesus wants me to be.  This is not who Jesus wants me to be.  

And Jesus said... 

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ 

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons, 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ 

45 “And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ 

Matthew 25:34-45 NLT