As a Courtesy from God

A little girl whose father was a radio announcer, and who wanted to be just like him, was invited to a friend’s house for dinner one evening. When she arrived, the mother asked the little girl if she would honor them by saying the blessing. This delighted the little girl. So, when it was time to sit down to eat, she cleared her throat, looked at her wristwatch, and said, “This food, my friends, is coming to you through the courtesy of the Lord God Almighty.” She will do well in following in her father’s footsteps.

But you know, she was absolutely correct in her assertion that all food that we eat does come through the courtesy of the Lord God Almighty. Sometimes I am afraid that we have lost sight of that. For most of us our food comes from the grocery store or the restaurant and we are not connected in any way to its growth or production. Since we are disconnected from the source of our food, we lose sight of everything that goes into getting that food to our table. And since we are disconnected from everything that goes into our food, we are not as thankful as we should be.

So, I want to issue a challenge this Thanksgiving…and everyday of your life. As you sit to eat be thankful for the turkey who gave its life for you to enjoy. Be thankful for the farmer who grew the vegetables that you enjoy. Be thankful for the laborers who harvested the fruit and vegetables from the fields. Be thankful for the workers who make our food ready to sell. Be thankful for the truck drivers who transport our food to the grocery stores. Be thankful for the grocery stores that offer us food in such abundance. Be thankful for those who work there, who stock the shelves, who check us out. Be thankful for the electricity or gas the enables you to cook the food you have bought. Be thankful for the willing hands who cook the food. Be thankful for family and friends with whom you share your meal. And be thankful to God, for God is the source of it all.

Deuteronomy says, “Beware, lest you forget the Lord your God…lest when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart becomes proud, and you forget the Lord your God.”

Let us remember, this Thanksgiving season, that all that we have comes as a courtesy from the Lord God Almighty, and let us be thankful.

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Tim Hobbs, Pastor