Thanks Is Important, But More Giving Is Needed!

Every year about this time my mind starts to form an intimate and heartfelt circle of thoughts and memories both from my past and hopefully those to be. I don't know, but it seems to be an automatic reaction that stirs inside of me almost like that of the changing of the seasons.  Call me sentimental I guess.  But this time of year is one that I've come to consider the great window of opportunity and I have embraced it more heartily as I've gotten older.  It is the time to give and I don't mean the obvious material gifts and such.  I mean to give my family and friends real lasting gifts.  Thank yous and smiles, hugs and laughter, prayers and encouragement, visits and time spent, a bigger ear and smaller mouth.  See, you get the picture.  The greatest gift of all is giving of oneself.  Not by just going through the motions like some bored teenager who knows it all and whines to their parents about going to Grandma and grandpa's house again, but true giving.  You know, the gift!  L-O-V-E!  Yes, that word we don't use often enough.  The one we guard as if gold but seldom expose it even to our closest and dearest friends and families.  Now, we do share quite an array of other emotions though and all of them have their effects both cumulatively and temporarily,  positively and too often negatively.  But none affects our lives such as the one emotion that truly expresses our life's purpose and the divine will of our Creator and eternal soul.  We are meant to give love and receive love but to often we don't.  Oh, what a difference we could make. 
  If I may let me give you an example.  I often speak of my wife in these circumstances because she more than anybody I know,  practices what she preaches.  For those of you who don't know, she is an ordained minister and profound spreader of love.  She does it so often and willfully that her countenance is changed permanently.  She gives of herself whether it's asked or more often not.  And I have to tell you the cumulative effect of her love is felt by countless people.  We often joke and call her Joyce from the movie "Just Friends".  For those of you who've seen it, you know what I mean!  Anyway,  she just cares and gives so openly and without prejudice, it makes some people uncomfortable sometimes.   That is until they see her true motivation and heart.   I have seen tough teens, cranky old folks, hurt and lost single mom's, and many other folks have their lives impacted by her in a positive way.  She is a mentor to many and counselor to a few more.  But she often deflects it all off of herself and gives glory to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  She is an endless well of good grace and the world is better off because of her.  Imagine the impact we could have if we adopted such an order of giving and grace.! 
  Just over two thousand years ago a simple carpenter's son, walked this earth and gave of Himself so completely and unabashedly that He went to the cross for us and His impact is as unending and  transformational today as it will be tomorrow.  Christ lived by the great tenets of giving thanks and love in equal portions.  The world was and is better for it.  Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."   We need to embrace the opportunity to give more love to each other.  So start simple, say it  to someone near and dear to you who needs to hear it, and say it regularly.  You'll soon see the difference in them and be encouraged to go further.  Difficulties and differences in life often happen for the lack of love and compassion not the abundance of.  May you all have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!!  Oh yea, don't worry, you're still getting a cookie tray too!!

First Corinthians 12:4-8 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”