The Irony of Thanksgiving

I love the holiday season!  Enjoying time with family and friends eating some turkey and exchanging gifts is always a memorable and pleasant time.

One thing we need to keep in mind, however, is that a lot of people can’t enjoy the holidays like most of us are used to.  Some people don’t have access to their loved ones or may not even have any family at all!   In addition, some families find themselves in hardships that prevent them from being able to enjoy luscious food and heart-warming gifts.  Therefore, we need to enjoy our own holiday season without “going overboard.”

Enjoying time with your family by giving gifts and enjoying food are great things.  Hoarding food and gifts while others are in need, however, is another.  Keep in mind, the point of the holiday season is to be THANKFUL for what we have and to GIVE to those who are lacking. I find it ironic that immediately after we give thanks for what we have on Thanksgiving, we immediately follow up the next morning (Black Friday) by going out and frantically purchasing more “stuff” as if we don’t have enough already!  This seems extremely ironic and backwards to me…

Now don’t get me wrong.  My point isn’t to belittle the holiday season.  In fact, I love and cherish this time I get to spend with my family and consistently find myself in the “Christmas Spirit” even earlier than most (I even enjoy Christmas music!).

My point is that this holiday season we be meticulous about being truly thankful for what we have and be generous in giving to our family without giving in “excess”–especially when there are so many other people out there in desperate need of far more important things.

There are better ways to show someone you love them without showering them with an excessive amount of material gifts.  Instead, give them the gift that is far more precious–the gift that comes from sharing your blessings with others who are less fortunate and, in the process, being obedient to Christ’s command:

“The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”–Luke 3: 11

-BH