Thanksgiving's Double Blessings
Last
week I mentioned double blessings. Let me explain further.
There
are blessings from our guests.
Like
the one by a woman in a red Christmas sweater who requested permission to speak. She thanked those who had prepared and served the
great meal and then began to sing Silent
Night a cappella. Several of us had goose bumps. At the end, the crowd didn't
know whether to clap or remain silent after such a beautiful expression of
talent.
Or
like another woman who asked if she could play our piano as we began cleaning up.
She had to get rid of her own piano and missed playing. We said, "Sure."
She sat down and her fingers glided over the keys and I can't tell you if it
was Bach, Mozart or Chopin, but incredible melodies rang through the fellowship
hall. Someone requested Dixie and she
joyfully obliged. And never once did she look at a piece of music—all from
memory. What a gift!
Or
the Norfolk woman who called one Thanksgiving Day and asked if she and her
brother could come without a reservation. A couple of hours later, she pushed
her brother in a wheel chair from the convalescent center located next to our
church. The two enjoyed dinner and the ambiance. When leaving, she expressed
her gratitude for the meal, the joyful decorations, and the quality time spent
with her brother.
Or
the number of homeless people who come. One elderly man walked almost a mile to
attend in freezing temperatures. Some of these folks live in the woods and if
they're lucky, one of the local hotels. Words fail to describe the look in
their eyes and depth of gratitude as their plate is heaped with hot, freshly
prepared food.
Those
are all true blessings from our guests. We've witnessed these humble and
joyous expressions of gratefulness every single year.
Also there are blessings from our servers.
Like
one year at the end of a servant's shift, he smiled and proclaimed, "I'm
not leaving. Gonna chain myself right here to the serving line so I can serve
longer." His serving time finished, but not his serving heart.
Every
year my mother greets our guests. She appreciates the love from them as they
are welcomed into the warm church. Over and over, she feels blessed by their humble
and sincere hearts.
My
step-father will tell you that his favorite thing about Thanksgiving is doing
God's work, seeing the delight in the faces of others, and playing a small role
in their happiness.
And
for me ….
Amazement
at our awesome God. You see, He chose a fertile heart and planted a small seed.
Then He provided good deeds to meet all the needs through local businesses,
churches, and volunteers. And we step back and watch the double blessings
flow—over and over—every year in our small Town of Ashland, VA.
Only
the Bread of Life could achieve such results.
To Him be the Glory.
To Him be the Glory.
Living
the Garden Life, Tammy
Van Gils plants
words and sprouts insightful stories blooming with hope. She
is a member of American Christian
Fiction Writers, Word Weavers International, and
The
Christian Writers Hub. Enjoy a visit to her Authors Facebook Page, Pinterest
and Twitter
@Tammyvangils. Subscribe to her blog, Writing Hope for the
Everblooming Life and enter a monthly drawing for a free
book. She's honored to be a Contributor to
When Nature Sings Devotion Book, Worthy Publishing Group Dec 2016 and to be
a guest blogger for Guideposts-
A Military Mom Struggles With God's Will, Blue
Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference - Are you a Warrior Writer?
And How
to Grow into an Outstanding Word Showing Writer.
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