A Time to Be Thankful!!

Halloween is behind us and Christmas is coming.  I’ve already seen Christmas ads all over television, but before Christmas, there’s Thanksgiving.  Sadly to some, Thanksgiving has been downgraded from a special day dedicated for giving thanks to simply the day before Black Friday.  I’ve always loved Thanksgiving.  For me, it was about the 3 F’s :  Family, Food and Football!  To most, it is a time to truly reflect and give thanks.

Sometimes the expression “giving thanks” becomes a worn out cliché. There have been times in my life when I gave a cursory thought to giving thanks before devouring the fabulous feast set before me.  This year is different.  My perspective on how much I have to be thankful for was crystallized on October 30th.  On that day I participated in an outreach program called “Church Under the Bridge.”  I have been participating in this program for several years and am part of a wonderful group of people who go to a location under I-35 and 7th Street in Austin to serve coffee and a meal to our homeless population.  I’m always humbled by this experience.

On this particular occasion I met two men I’ll always remember.  One man came through the coffee line right after we began serving.  His nose and lips were puffy and one eye was nearly swollen shut.  He went through the line several times and each time he was telling an acquaintance about the night before.  I heard enough to piece together what happened.  Watching this man walk away, cradling a cup of coffee with both of his shaking hands broke my heart.  Everything he had, he’d lost the night before.

Another man came through the line.  He had an open face, bright eyes and a genuine smile.  I asked him how things were going.  He couldn’t wait to tell me how great things were.  He was able to work two days that week.  He earned enough money to buy a sleeping bag.  The sleeping bag was slung over his shoulder.  He was pretty sure he would be working the next day.  That was enough for him to be excited about tomorrow.

Now, hearing these two men's stories, you might be proud of the second man most for his perspective on life.  However, for me, both these men give me a deeper perspective on all I have to be thankful for.  Family, friends, food and Camp Doublecreek.  I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue sharing the strong family values with all of our awesome campers that Uncle Carter and Aunt Trudy created many years ago.

Join me in giving deep thanks this Thanksgiving holiday!

--Joe Ray