With Great Thanksgiving...

 This week I had the extreme pleasure of serving a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for the area’s less fortunate at our church with my oldest son.  I was unsure of what to expect from the event, or from my son for that matter.  It is the first time either of us have been involved with the tradition and I had heard of the masses that partake of the meal.  It turned out I had nothing to fear on either count.

The meal was VERY well organized and looked and smelled as wonderful as any holiday spread I have ever seen.  The volunteers were ready and waiting, each with their assignment and each eager to do their part to help out.

Caedon and I volunteered to take care of garbage and clearing tables as people finished.  While we were waiting for our duties to be needed we decided to help people carry the deserts and drinks to their seats.  Caedon was hesitant at first, not sure of what to say to someone to start off the interaction, but after 20 minutes or so of watching me he joined right in.  

“I can help carry that if you want” he said to one older gentleman with a noticeable limp.  I turned quick to see what the response would be and with a smile that I could tell was not often used, he looked at Caedon and replied in a faint but firm tone “that would be mighty kind son.”  From that point on Caedon was on his own for the most part, following one person after another with their hands full of the main dishes.  He carried countless drinks without a spill and interacted with kindness and grace beyond his years with everyone he helped.  To say I was a proud father would not begin to describe how I felt.

I saw many people I recognized as members of the credit union.  It made me feel good to know that we are serving them and hopefully making their financial lives a little easier, but certainly has convicted me to do more.  It keeps you humble to think about the fact that we are all just a few wrong turns or unfortunate events from being in need.  I am fortunate to be in a position that allows me to focus some energy on helping the families who want to improve their financial well-being, and I feel blessed to have that opportunity.

After all of the people had been through the line and those wanting seconds had been back up for round two (after all what is a Thanksgiving meal without seconds), Caedon came up to me and very politely asked if HE could go through the line and get a piece of pumpkin pie.  Since we had arrived at the church a little later than the other servers we hadn’t sat and had our dinner before the meal started, so I knew he was hungry.  He had carried dozens of pieces of the pie to others in the course of the evening.

 “Of course Caedon, you've earned every bite of that piece of pie tonight, pick out a big piece and find a table and I'll start cleaning up.”  I told him.

He went over, picked his piece and sat down at a table off to the side of the gymnasium and as I watched him eat the pie I could tell that he understood that he in fact HAD earned it, and that made it taste so much better.  He watched as the last of the dinner guests got up from the tables and shuffled into the adjacent room to collect their groceries from the food pantry and he just took it all in.

Once he was finished with the pie he cleaned up his plate and started helping me clear the tables.  When we had all of the tables cleared of trash he joined me in the parking lot helping people carry the free groceries from the Loaves & Fishes Ministry to their cars.  At one point a boy his age who was trying to carry a bag to help his grandmother slipped over the side of the walkway and stumbled.  Caedon was right there ready to grab the bag and help the boy.  He had seen several kids that he attends school with eating the meal with their families, and he gave each of them big heartfelt smiles as he interacted with them during the evening.  He was a true gentleman.

On the drive home I asked him what he thought of the night.  He relayed that he thought it was good that our church helps out families that need it and that he thought it was fun, even though it was hard work.  I asked him if he recognized anyone from school and he said that he had, and I could tell by his silence afterward that it was still sinking in.

I then explained to him that when Christ was on the Earth that He spent most of His years of ministry helping people who were in need in some way.  Some needed food; some needed healing, and some just simply needed love.  I told him that before Jesus left the Earth He gave an order to His disciples to continue to do just that, and I explained to him that when we serve others in need it is like being His hands. I looked over and saw that Caedon had his head sort of bowed as I was talking and was looking at his hands.  I very nearly got choked up.  What an eye-opening evening for my son and I.   It impacted a good many of the neediest among us, but the biggest blessing by far was the opportunity simply to serve, and to see what a heart Caedon has for others. 

I am truly thankful for all that my family and I have, and for the many blessings God has given me, and this Thanksgiving especially, for His unrelenting desire to show me more ways in which He loves us and for the opportunities He gives US to show His love to others.