Meaning of the Season?

the past few weekends we've teamed up with several organizations giving out thanksgiving dinners and groceries to those who need. it seems that the lines where much longer this year and the size of the needs are increasing. it was pretty cool....driving around town thankgiving day i noticed several places giving away food. i think that the newspaper even did a really good writeup of these events.

there is this economic side in which our leaders are trying to find ways to stop the bleeding and bringing some sense of hope to the poor and those that are struggling. in this area alone, hundreds and hundreds of people are being having to file for unemployment. imagine what that does to families.....to our communities.

then there's the moral and humanitarian side where loving, compassionate, caring, and giving people give and serve those in need. i saw a lot of that this past week. college students in serving lines on holiday giving out food. families distributing cloths and jackets together. ministers and community leaders organizing meals to give away.

as we are tempted to allow the commercialization of the spirit of the season to overtake us, i hope that we will pause for a moment and consider the impact that we can have as we work through the idea that it is better to give than to receive.

peace!