Thanksgiving, Be The Hope Others Have Lost...

Day 24

Thanksgiving Day!

Its Thanksgiving morning and the turkey stuffing dressing gravy infuses the air smothering my stomach with the promise succulent savory satisfaction.  My mind drifts towards the many that aren’t so blessed this morning and may be struggling for survival as we speak. 

Recently I’ve been trying to help a homeless man on the run.  He was running from everything, poverty and pain, rejection from relatives and systems that have strained his emotional resources.  He planned on starting over again promising to find Jesus again when he stops sprinting from insanity. 

But the devil chases him as hard and as fast as he could run, because in truth he is running from himself and the punishment he has inflicted upon his own psyche and soul.  The whirlwind of wrong decisions we make when we are whimpering from the whipping the world has put on us. 

It’s so easy to criticize and comment on the plight of others while our own belly is full of self-righteousness and stuffed turkey.  You just don’t want to think about the plight of others during the holidays because it may cause spiritual indigestion and conviction about how many times we have passed the homeless with change in our pockets acting like they were invisible. 

The coat drives, and can goods we have in excess we don’t think about donating until someone puts up a flyer in the sanctuary as if we needed someone else to bring our attention to the sad situations surrounding us.  Have we forgotten about the poverty-stricken plight of our brothers and sisters hungry and homeless in our backyard? 

Sorry if I’m being a downer before desert, but it’s hard for me to ignore destitute.  Unfortunately, some of us don’t have extra to share with someone suffering in the streets. 

But that is a comfortable lie I like to tell myself because in truth I can give the shirt off my back because I have another!  I can share the sandwich I packed for lunch because I can afford to skip a meal!  I don’t have to have extra to support others I just need to be willing to make a sacrifice! 

It burns me to admit the subtleness of my selfishness but the truth cuts me like a scalpel dipped in acid.  If I was truly attempting to help the hopeless I would’ve spent the morning in prayer about the poverty problem instead of mere moments over the thanksgiving meal!    

The plight of the less fortunate shouldn’t be an afterthought before stuffing myself with cranberry sauce and cornbread.  We live in a world of living pain that writhes and rages in the people around us that we pretend not to see.  A devouring disease full of despair and indecision leaving the lost feeling alone and abandoned. 

This isn’t about the haves and have nots anymore, it’s about the heartbroken, the homeless and those who want to give them hope!  We worry about the next president in the white house more than the plight of the poor in front of the corner store.  We share statements about making America great while spewing phrases on Face Book supporting hate. 

The problem of the poor, and less fortunate isn’t a responsibility it’s a God given right to do what’s right.  Do we really need a food drive to see the starving?  Does someone really need to explain why the poor need winter coats during the winter?  How much common sense is required to help someone who is hurting? 

I wonder if we fall into the false belief that the burden is too big for us to fix.  I would totally agree, the heartbreak in our homeland is horrifyingly huge.  The statistics for growing addiction and overdoses is staggering.  The numbers of homeless and hurting multiply everyday with collapse of our communities.  The denial, depression and anxiety sweeps through our society like a storm.  The violence and victims in our immediate vicinity doubles daily.  Truly no one person can fix this situation.   

But wouldn’t it be interesting if our society worked collectively to save lives instead of scrutinize them.  Wouldn’t it be fascinating if our community practiced compassion faithfully instead of flatulently?  Wouldn’t it be phenomenal if people on social media supported others emotionally instead of posting poison to punish indiscriminately?    

The attitude of gratitude shouldn’t just be a platitude or catch phrase but a call to action to be the grace we have been blessed with to others struggling to survive.  We have no hope of becoming better if we cannot remember how we were the lost but found last November… 

We Strive for Success Together or Die in Despair Divided!  - WiL