Thanksgiving~A Meal of Love

If you're a friend of mine on Facebook, you probably know that I've been out of commission this week. Due to a pinched nerve in my lower back, I've been spending a lot of time, well, on my back.

The couch is NOT my favorite place to be.

Sometimes though, something big has to happen for God to get my attention.

While I would prefer Him to whisper in my ear, the reality is that, on many days, I'm too busy to stop and listen.  

There is a song that describes life in the 21st. century by the country group, Alabama. "I'm in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush 'til life's no fun. All I really gotta do is, live and die. Even I'm in a hurry and don't know why."

This is the song I sing as we're driving, in rush hour, through Portland.

As of late, it's also the song that best describes my life. While watching a morning news/talk show, I realize that it's not just my mantra. It's the chosen lifestyle of many. Why? What are we hurrying towards? There was a segment on this show about Thanksgiving dinner. Specifically, how we busy Americans, who are always looking for a short-cut in our "I want it now" lives, can serve a Thanksgiving feast with just a few clicks of the mouse.

I'm not talking about the creepy little 4-legged ones either.

It seems, that entire turkey dinners can be ordered online and delivered right to our doors, leaving more time for us to do more stuff.

Because we can never have enough stuff.

Whatever happened to teaching our sons and daughters to be stewards of the earth? What about teaching our sons to be providers and leaders of the family, or our daughters to be keepers of the home? Are we so busy that all we can pass down to our children are more ways to cut corners, meet deadlines, or have someone else do our jobs?

Have you ever gone to a super Walmart and seen someone pay for their food with government assistance, but then pay cash for a big-screen t.v.? I have. We're raising a generation of lazy people. People who think that they have earned the right to be catered to. At someone else's expense.

We're not born that way. It is a learned behaviour.

Has the value of family life dropped in recent years? Is our personal time worth more than time spent serving our families? Why is it easier for some to donate to a favorite charity, but more difficult to model charity in their own homes?

The hostess of this morning show stated that, "...it takes 4 hours to prepare the meal, 1 hour to eat it, and another 4 for the clean-up. Happy Thanksgiving." [implied: "to me".]

If you're rushed for time during this holiday season, step back and take a good look at your life. What are you choosing? Is it a life of joy or one of duty? Are you preparing a meal out of love or is it just something that needs to be done?

The first Thanksgiving wasn't one of convenience. It was a meal, prepared by many, using the things that they had on hand, or were able to obtain with a shotgun. I am sure that there were no guest lists, caterers, or Black Friday sales to worry about. Just a simple meal, prepared by simple people, who came together for one simple reason.

To give thanks. 

This Thanksgiving, I am not only thankful for my family and friends, but am also thankful for my time  spent on the couch.

What race are you running?