Don’t Miss the Point of Thanksgiving

When most people think of Thanksgiving, they think of the food. And rightfully so. It’s a holiday built on culinary delights like golden-roasted turkey, fluffy stuffing, creamy potatoes, tangy cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and whipped-cream on top of pumpkin pie.

Is your mouth watering yet?

I love turkey as much as anybody, but when I think of Thanksgiving, the feast is secondary.

That’s because for me, Thanksgiving is about faces, stories and family.

• It’s about the faces of the homeless men who haven’t had a good meal in weeks.
• The stories of the children who have been living in cars while their parents desperately look for jobs.
• It’s about the family created as we sit down in folding chairs to celebrate the holiday together.

We all have different backgrounds. We all have different goals. Yet on Thanksgiving we are united. It’s the food that brings us together, but the fact that we are together that matters.

God calls us to be a community and to love one another.

On Thanksgiving, the best way we can reflect Jesus is by reaching out to those in need and inviting them to join in our feast.

By showing them they are worthy of a good meal and a holiday celebration, we show them they are just like us. They are human. They are loved. Then, and maybe only then, can they begin to look to the future and HOPE.

Sylvia Anderson
CEO