I was driving to my first Christmas decorating job, today, and passed workers putting up the big Christmas tree out in front of our city hall. The weather has finally turned cool down here in Mississippi. The leaves were sporting their fall colors and the cool breeze sent them swirling down on my car. I passed a large group of boys playing football out in a front yard- enjoying their break from school. Several store windows were showcasing those twinkling Christmas adornments that announce the coming of the giving season. It's just that warm and wonderful time of year. Our church seemed extra full, Sunday morning....everyone wanting to worship, this Thanksgiving season, and family coming home for the holiday. Our pastor, of course, preached on thankfulness and he made a statement that we've all heard before and one that I'd agree with, wholeheartedly. He commented that some of the most grateful people are those who have very little and it made me think of a story that I thought was relevant to that point.

My parents told me, many times, about one Christmas, before I was born, when my older brother and two of his cousins, about the same age, spent Christmas Eve night together in the same house. Of course, where there are little boys on Christmas Eve, there Santa will land and unload goodies from his sleigh.

So, between the boys, there were three different sets of parents represented, that night, and also three different ideas of how much a child should receive in the way of Christmas gifts. They'd all done their shopping and, when the young boys went to bed, sure enough, Santa paid them a visit, leaving three separate piles of presents. Three separate piles of widely varying sizes, at that.

I suppose they were really young and, the next morning, they didn't really notice the disparity in the gift amounts that they'd received, but one thing surely stood out to the adults. The child, who received the biggest pile of gifts, seemed to be the least impressed with what was in all the packages. There were so many that he'd grab one, rip it open, and toss it aside, even before all the paper was off, so he could get his hands on the next one. With so much laid there at his feet, there was little time to stop and appreciate what had been given to him. The abundance had caused him to become less sensitive to the joy of his gifts, while the other two, with their less impressive accumulations, seemed more amazed by each thing they'd been given. They spent more time studying them, appreciating them, and relishing the whole experience of receiving.

We've all seen that. We've been to children's birthday parties, where the kid is covered up with more presents than she could possibly ever play with or even open for that matter. And they seem to be unimpressed with all of it. The gifts that the parents had thought about for so long. The ones the grandparents had special ordered for the occasion. The ones that were super expensive with all the bright lights, realistic sounds, and rechargeable batteries. Sitting there mostly unnoticed, while their boxes appear to be more attention grabbing. Somewhere in the sizable mound of gifts, the appreciation just got lost. The wonder and awe somehow was thrown out with the mountain of tissue, ribbons, and boxes.

This is that special time when we all gather with our families and friends and remember our many blessings and give thanks to our Creator for what He's given to us. Sometimes, I feel like that little kid, at her birthday party, who's buried beneath a mountain of gifts, and I can't even really fully appreciate any of them like I should. Sometimes, maybe I start to have the mentality that there's more where those came from and I'm guilty of not living in an attitude of thanksgiving, but more of an attitude of expectancy that I'll always have what I need and a lot of what I want. Most of us probably have "piles" bigger than we deserve. Definitely bigger than much of the world could ever even imagine having.

I'm a big House Hunters fan, but I think our overindulged society comes out loud and clear on that show, sometimes, when a couple walks into a beautiful kitchen and talks about how the whole thing would need to be gutted, because the granite is the wrong color and there isn't a farmhouse sink or double ovens. And they'd never even want to attempt to cook on an electric range, heaven forbid. "I just couldn't live here long with the kitchen like this." When there are people living in abject poverty, it makes me blush to listen to our coddled mindset being expressed audibly. Maybe because I know that I have a lot of the same kinds of thought patterns about certain things.

We are blessed, indeed. Not that most of us are millionaires or live in mansions with a slew of domestic helpers, but I think we all can recognize our plentitude. And I'm not saying it's impossible for us to stay aware of our blessings and be continuously grateful for them, but I do think that it takes more of a focused effort to remain in a spirit of thanksgiving when we live among such abundance. And maybe the best way to live in thankfulness is to use our gifts to glorify the Giver and to the benefit of others. Then, we can use our plenty in a way that really expresses our gratitude. "....Whoever has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the one who has been given more." Luke 12:48

I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. We've already had one Thanksgiving meal and we'll have another big one on Thanksgiving night and watch the Mississippi State/ Ole Miss game for dessert. It'll be a night full of love and family and more calories than should be allowed by law. I hope that, wherever and however you celebrate God's goodness, it will be a lovely one.