I am awake but it seems as if my brain and body don't want to cooperate this morning. They have unionized against being up early today. I will combat their stubborn attitudes with some hot Door County Autumn Spice Coffee. There will be victory over this insurrection!
Matthew 25:40 The King will reply: "Truly I tell you. Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.
For the last two nights I have gotten down on to our living room floor with the intentions of playing with our two dogs Leo and Gibbs. After about 30 minutes of wrestling around and playing tug of war with some rope toys, Gibbs and I are all played out. Leo the 5 month old puppy still wants to keep going. So we give him a few more minutes and soon after he decides to join us in the cool down mode and all three of us water up and relax on the floor. The problem with this is that for the last two nights I have fallen sound asleep on the floor. My wife Rene knows that I am a light sleeper and if I wake up there is a good chance that my day will begin right there and now. So she covered me with a blanket for the last two nights and left me to enjoy some deep sleep.
I can tell you for a fact that the floor however is not as comfortable as our bed is. The two dogs leave me and walk over to their respective beds and get nice and comfortable. I woke up to the puppy nibbling on my ear this morning which was his way of telling me to get up " I want to eat". Getting up wasn't as easy as it normally is. My body ached and I had to think about it for a minute or two. That's when my brain rejected the thought process of moving and starting my day. Eventually the show started and I woke up and took the dogs outside, coffee in hand.
While sitting out in the cold damp air I came too from my semi unconscious state from by night on the floor. I gave it some thought. There was no need for me to sleep on the floor, but a lesson was in there somewhere. While praying, God reminded me of a hard cold fact. We have a floor. It is carpeted and warm. There is a roof over it and it is dry. I have a blanket and when I fell asleep my stomach was full from a good meal we had consumed a couple of hours earlier. If it were colder I could have had more blankets. The fireplace had a warm fire in it and the heat was still evident this morning as I poked at a few glowing embers.The doors were locked on the house and I was safe.
God literally showed me the simple blessings that I enjoy but others might not have. Many do not have a safe, warm place to lay down and sleep in. They might not have a blanket or a meal. The shelter they may go to barely has enough money to offer meager meals. The shelter has calling in life to help the needy. They know how to do it best. My good friend knows of such a place and he has a heart for their work. Earlier this month he just simply asked if others would join he and his wife in donating $2.19 to pay for a Thanksgiving meal for someone. My friends donated the first $100. It wasn't too long before they had collected much, much more than that. They too have captured the essence of what this upcoming holiday should stand for. It is the essence of being thankful for what we have and sharing it with others. My friends made a difference just by stepping up themselves and then leading others to help.
So as we prepare for Thanksgiving this week and we shop and purchase the groceries for a feast, can we maybe purchase a couple more items and take them to a food pantry or shelter for those who need some help? Can we open our tables to someone in need of companionship and a place to eat where they can be loved and treated as if they were a dignitary in our homes? Share that bacon wrapped turkey. Let's capture the essence of this holiday. Throughout the next few weeks I will be watching for moments like these and share how others have captured the essence of Thanksgiving and Christmas, You watch also, God may be inviting you to join Him in some of His work. Be a blessing to others.
Have a great day! god bless.
Marty
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