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Thanksgiving With No Fear!
Yesterday I co- chaired a family event where we made hundreds of Thanksgiving baskets for families in need who live in an underserved community at Project Home’s Honickman Learning Center. There were 200 of us making baskets from age 5 on up and everyone expressed how much they enjoyed doing this “hands on” service and how good they felt inside seeing the joy in the faces of the recipients of their generosity.
As I was handing a box of food to a young woman, I looked in her eyes and saw how much more she needed than just food. She needed love, support, advice, opportunity and a chance to feel productive like we all do. Project Home does an outstanding job of providing all of these things through their programs but the numbers of people in need are increasing dramatically!
The woman wore a bandana of our flag as if to show how proud she is to be a citizen of a country of individuals who have risen above to make it great. I wonder if we have become so individualistic as a country that we are feeling less and less responsible for the plight of our neighbor.
If everyone in the world helped just one other person in need, than everyone in the world would be helped. It seems like such a simple formula yet more and more people are in need of help.
The contentment and joy that all of the people yesterday felt when taking the time to give back, can be felt every day of the year if they choose. There is no greater joy than experiencing a person in need graduate from high school, receive medical care, overcome an addiction, land a job, find stability, and feel loved, who never would have otherwise given their circumstance, because you were personally involved.
I believe the only thing that inhibits good people from getting more involved with others, is fear. I remember when I told my best friends that we were bringing a foster child into our lives, their immediate reaction was fear of all different kinds of things. “Yes, but if I don’t open my heart to help, how I expect anyone else to help,” must be our reply.
Don’t be fearful in opening your life and your heart to someone who needs help throughout the year. The chance you take to get more involved will cause a domino effect of joy that will bring more happiness and peace than you can imagine.
And just a reminder for a happy Thanksgiving at a time when many families are experiencing difficulty. Please don’t bring up any old family wounds or blame anyone you love for financial or other problems. Celebrate how lucky are you to have the people who are around you at this moment. All we have for certain is now and the ability to give love.
Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with love and joy!
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