Lenten-Meditations-2015-w

Thanksgiving
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Thanks in Action
READ: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
KEY VERSE: You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous
on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving
to God. -2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)
When I was a child, I often was perplexed by my parents’ actions as we lived
in our small, rural community. When it snowed, our father got out the tractor
and cleared the driveways of elderly residents. We carried in wood so they
had fires to keep them warm and delivered meals to keep them fed. We never
went to Richmond for shopping trips without taking two to three neighbors
with us. And people regularly showed up at our house on Sunday evenings to
watch Ed Sullivan and Perry Mason on television.
As a child, these acts of kindness seemed to be continuing impositions. As
an adult, I feel blessed to have been raised by such giving, sharing people. I
have tried to emulate their open hearts and give of myself when I see others
in need.
It is certainly easier to write a check, and we should do so for causes that need
money. But extending ourselves in personal ways lets the receiver understand
that we are Christians trying to live as Christ taught us.
–Doris Hutchinson Collins
LOOKING WITHIN: How can I daily practice sharing my good fortune with
others so that they may see Christ’s love for them through me?
Dear God, help me to give thanks each day for my many blessings and give
back from your bounty to those in need. Amen.
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