The day dawned sunny and clear, with cool air nipping our cheeks as my husband and I piled stuff in the car for our trip from the Dallas area to Austin. Our son and daughter-in-law and three grandkids also drove from the Dallas area and met us at my brother and sister-in-law's house for a Thanksgiving family dinner.
The usual turkey and dressing, as well as ham, multiple side dishes, and numerous desserts crowded the counter as we filled our plates. So much food! You probably experienced the same thing. Gratefully I overate. Thanksgiving is the one time of the few times I indulge in food that would lay me low me if I ate it all the time. But, boy, did it taste good!
The day after we got home, I sat down to pay bills. An appeal from the North Texas Food Bank caught my attention. I thought about the rich foods spread before me at Thanksgiving, and then I thought about those who are grateful just to have something to eat.
Selfishness tried to rear its ugly head as I wrote a check. We live on a limited income, but still have far more than the majority of people in this world. I'm embarrassed to admit that after stuffing myself with the choicest of foods, I hesitated when it came to helping the poor. What's even more embarrassing is that God brought me out of poverty. I never went hungry, but we didn't have nice clothes, a nice house, or even a phone or car as I grew up. Normally I have a generous heart, but this incident showed me once again that we're never free of the temptation to focus only on our needs.
First John 3:17 says,
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
John the Baptist told the crowds in Luke 3:11:
The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.
As we go deeper into the Christmas season, I pray we will actively look for opportunities to help the least among us. Let's remember how God generously supplies our needs so we can help others.
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I struggle with the same issue--my heart wants to give but sometimes when it comes down to it I rationalize why I can't. Just this morning I received an email from my child's teacher requesting donations for an Angel kid the class has "adopted". The teacher had not received any donations from the entire class. Your post definitely caused me to think beyond myself & our family's wish list and consider the plight of this needy child. It's easy to think that other people will step in and help, when really, I need to be the one to do it regardless of others' actions.
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