INSIGHT: More blessed to give than to receive

As we prepare for the holidays, I find myself recalling those family Thanksgivings of my youth.

Each year we would have family from far and near gather at my mother’s and father’s home to celebrate the season of Thanksgiving. However, one year several of our extended family members were unable to be with us due to illness and a wedding in the far western part of the state.

As my mother and father began their planning, they came upon an idea that sounded very different from all the years past. They felt instead of gathering at my parents’ home, we would go to the Community Center where those who had little or nothing would be given a full Thanksgiving feast with all the fixings including entertainment.

Two church choirs would sing all through the dinner and following dinner all present would be treated to a movie. That year the film was, “A Wonderful Life.” The film is about a man who is struggling with the ups and down of life and can’t believe his life has made a difference to anyone. An angel from heaven trying to earn his wings shows the man that his life really made a big difference to many people.

Well, back to my different Thanksgiving. As my father explained to my brothers and I, we were not going to be just at this meal — we were going to spend our Thanksgiving serving the meal and even helping to prepare the food.

Well, you can just imagine the discussion that followed, “No way! Why us? What did we do to deserve this?” My parents responded, “We always had plenty to eat so why not give to others who had none?”

Oh, brother! How could we rebut that line? “Ok! Ok! We’ll do it, but we’re not going to have any fun this year on Thanksgiving.”

We arrived in time to help peel the potatoes and winter squash. I can tell you I have never seen so many potatoes in all my life. It took 15 or twenty 20 more than an hour and half to peel all those spuds. When everyone had said grace and had been seated, we began serving the turkey, potatoes, other vegetables, rolls, cranberry sauce, celery, pickles, hot coffee, hot tea or apple cider and for dessert there was pumpkin pie or apple pie.

You never in your life saw people eat like those 300 people did. The plan was for the help to eat after everyone had finished eating. There was no food left for us. So when everyone left, the chairman of the event sent out to McDonald’s and we had big Macs, fries and apple pie for Thanksgiving.

Now I know you think my brothers and I must have been miserable, but we weren’t. Those people could not have been more grateful for what we had done for them. In fact, one older man came up to me as he was leaving and put his arms around me and hugged me saying, “You will never know how much this means to me. God bless you!”

I am reminded even today of how thankful the older gentleman was that Thanksgiving 54 years ago. Remember friends, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Have a blessed Thanksgiving and don’t forget to give thanks to almighty God for all you have been given.