Thanksgiving I

You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God . . . 

   - From 2 Corinthians 9

The paradoxes of God, and of truth. 

Blessed are the poor . . . 

The first will be last . . . 

The greatest among you must be your servant . . . 

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If you want to be thankful, be generous . . . 

You may not be feeling thankful this season. It has been a hard year.

You're tired of not getting ahead financially.

You wish someone would notice you.

You had too many recent losses - divorce, bereavement, illness.

You wish people in the Church would act right. 

You're sick of war, and terrorism, and random violence.

You've had it with politics, and Social Media.

You wish people that cared about the poor, sick, needy, and marginalized, would care about the poor, sick, needy, and marginalized, and not just be attention-seeking Social Justice Warriors. 

Your friends and family let you down.

But that's not the way God set it up. If you're generous, you will be made rich. And out of that, almost unwillingly, you will become thankful. Not just thankful in concept - - - but a sincere, jubilant thankfulness that floats out from you, and infects those around you.

There's plenty to do.  No matter how bad your circumstance, there is someone very close to you, that's worse off. There is someone you can help; something you can do; some problem to fix . . . and you are uniquely gifted to fix it, primarily because you are right there. 

As the old song said "Do what you can where you are."

Show up. Help. Be there. Be outward focused.

And the result will be your best Thanksgiving ever.