"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men."
1 Timothy 2:1
"At times, we may feel quite accomplished and self-sufficient in this land of plenty. But let us stop and think about the many hands that are needed for us to live comfortably and enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. A farmer produced the turkey or raised the pork that would become the meat on our plate. Maybe his hired help is living paycheck to paycheck. Wheat was raised, trucked to a mill, and ground into flour. Someone hauled that bag of flour to the local store, and a worker stocked the shelf. The clerk, with a cheery smile, helped us with our purchase. An oil rig, manned by roughnecks, drilled a well to produce the fuel that is so important to our lives. The fuel was refined and transported to the local dealer so we could drive our vehicles and run our machinery. At another location, a turbine hums and is generating electricity to power our homes and kitchens. Workers are on duty or on call around the clock to ensure the safe delivery of that current to our homes. Someone's busy fingers, at an assembly line on the other side of the world, assembled the cell phone that was used to invite the dinner guests. As we thank God this season, surrounded by friends and family, we could be a blessing to countless others by expanding our circle of thanks to include the many hands that helped to make our Thanksgiving dinner."
Min. Laurel Wiebe, Messenger of Truth, November 13, 2024
People are truly life's greatest blessings. Relationships are also probably one of the most complicated things we navigate in life, too. Maybe that's why we tend to neglect truly giving thanks for the many people who touch our lives every day.
Some people definitely came to mind when I read this article...
The labor and delivery staff at our local hospital: I've been in and out of those swinging doors a lot this year because we've been blessed with two new babies in our little circle of Haitian friends. We have a midwife that is always rearranging pillows or getting hot tea for visitors. She seems to be always around. I wonder when she ever leaves the hospital to sleep. All the nurses are so good at kindness without words. It means a lot when you're a first time mom in a strange country.
The Walmart pickup workers: Every Thursday night, Ava and I sit down with two families' grocery lists, and almost as if by magic, the next morning we get a text that everything is ready. A lovely person loads our beans and rice, grapes and bananas carefully in the back seat while Ava stares at them solemnly, then proclaims them to be a "nice grocer" when they leave. If you want to have a job that makes a difference in a mom's life, go apply at the Walmart delivery center!
My church family: Sometimes it's hard to just keep "being a Mennonite." We are a flawed people that judge situations by appearance all too often and gossip way too much about things we don't understand. The social pressure and the traditions get to be a lot. But we truly are a family. We have each other's back. We keep each other accountable. And when I look into your faces, at church on Sunday or even across the huge stadium at the general conference, I see love. Most of all, I see a reflection of myself. There is no other church like this - I'm convinced. It's so worth it.
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm giving thanks for you all.