11/09

TRUE THANKS AND GIVING

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”  Psalm 136:1
“I thank my God every time I remember you… being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” 
Philippians 3:3

On Nov. 14, this article, Challenge of Giving Embraced, appears on www.newsok.com, by Carla Hinton:

Sean Murphy has issued himself a challenge worthy of attention. The Moore man created Thirty Days of Thanks and Giving, requiring him to perform at least one act of thanks or giving each day.

"November is supposed to be a month of gratitude to God for His grace and His bounty,” Murphy recently wrote on his blog.
"Somehow ... Thanksgiving has become something that has very little to do with thanks or giving. Middle-class America sits around crowded tables or in front of televised football games shoving their mouths full of overcooked turkey and store-bought pumpkin pie until they are more stuffed than the Butterball that they spent the morning preparing.”

Murphy said he can make the sarcastic barbs because he counts himself in that number, hence the personal challenge.

He is documenting each act of thanks or giving on his blog. Each act has to fit certain criteria. It must not benefit him directly. He cannot accept credit for the acts, and they must be unexpected "and hopefully a pleasant surprise.”

He has taken snacks to firefighters, helped a customer at his store pay her grocery bill and took his neighbor’s trash bin to the curb. He gave a snack to the crossing guard working at a school in his neighborhood. He prepared a sack lunch for a homeless man who often sits at a busy intersection.  "He said, ‘God bless you!’ As I watched in my rearview the man finding a place to sit and eat and drink his water, I thought, ‘God has already blessed me!’” Murphy wrote.

Murphy also has started a campaign to send cards to people at Fort Hood, Texas, to comfort and encourage those affected by the recent shootings at the military base. Some schools and his church have joined the effort. People interested in participating can drop off cards at Heartland Community Church, 8309 S Santa Fe, Oklahoma City.

Incidentally, a friend of Murphy’s, not the man himself, led me to his blog and challenge. I think it is a great idea for a holiday that sometimes seems more about gluttony and sports than gratitude. It reminds us of the importance of giving and saying thanks.

Keep up with Sean Murphy’s 30 Days of Thanks & Giving through www.elevenelevenoclock.blogspot.com

FROM PASTOR RANDY:

This is a great way to discover true thanks and giving.  I am challenging each of us to commit ourselves to an act of thanks or giving every day until Thanksgiving.  Here are a few more ideas:
-Send a thank-you card to a former pastor, Sun. School teacher, school teacher, or mentor.
-Offer a word of understanding or encouragement to someone going thru a hard time.
-Help a child, handicapped or elderly person.
-Pick up litter for a neighbor you don’t know.
-Thank someone who serves Christ in our community or our church.
-Offer to volunteer at Sharing Hope food pantry or another community service for the underprivileged.

Our son Jonathan asked if he could bring home a bunch of college friends who don’t have anyplace to go for Thanksgiving.  Many guys in his dorm are from out of state or are missionary kids, and usually spend holidays in a dorm room or eating at a restaurant.   So Jane and I, with the help of a few others, are planning to serve a Thanksgiving meal in the church fellowship hall.  If you’d like to help, contact Jane at 580-372-3105.  If you like, you’re welcome to eat with us too.

Commit to an act of true thanks or giving everyday thru Thanksgiving, and you are guaranteed to be blessed this Thanksgiving.

May our Generous God guide your steps!
Pastor Randy Schreurs