As we prepare ourselves for this festive Thanksgiving season, are we really thinking of anyone else besides our family and friends?
Yes, this is a time for family and friends however we need to look around us and see the people that will have no Thanksgiving dinner or celebration because of no family, no friends, no money, and/or no food. These people are not hard to see if we just open our eyes and our hearts and reach out into our community.
Many years ago I attended a church whose pastor had a passion for missions and helping local people. He suggested a program for the church called “Feeding of the Five Thousand” and it has been a tremendous hit with everyone in the church and the community. Many other churches have joined in this great event and it is a way to get everyone involved. It takes a lot of preparation and much direction but the people stepped up and made it work.
In the gospel of Luke 9:10-17 we read how Jesus fed the five thousand people that had gathered by the Sea of Galilee to hear Him speak. Even though His disciples questioned how He could do this with five loaves of bread and two fish, they trusted in Him to do as He said He would.
Don’t we question our sources on how we can help feed the hungry even though we have plenty to share? As a single person or family we may not be able to help very many but as a collective group such as a church(s) or a community we can accomplish feeding the multitude.
I have been very blessed by knowing a restaurant owner from my past, that opened his doors to anyone and everyone on Thanksgiving Day and fed them for free. His generous heart was a welcome sign to many that may not have anything to eat on that day. Even though he was out quite a bit of money and food he always told me the blessings he received from helping those in need far outweighed his cost.
We, as Americans, have been blessed with abundance because of the nation we live in. Our nation shares our resources with many around the world but I, for one, don’t believe they do enough for the needy in our own country. Many of our communities come together and feed the locals that are homeless and hungry and this is what we should be doing.
As this church did and continues to do, the “Feeding the Five Thousand” program has been and will always be a tremendous success and one of the greatest witness tools a person, church, or community will ever need. As this tremendous holiday approaches it is my hope that all of us look around us and see the possibilities that lie within just a few feet of where we are working or residing. Even though the crowd was gathering to hear Jesus speak, I believe we will be surprised to the ones that will listen to us when we also offer help, about the plan of salvation.
This Thanksgiving let’s thank God for all He has given us and remember the many blessings we have received from Him. Then let’s go forth and share what we have.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for the many blessings you have given me, my family, and my community. I pray that I will be the one that will open my heart to others during this season. Amen.
