Thanksgiving Wekend Part Two

While Thanksgiving brings up thoughts of turkey, pie, and pumpkin goodness, the holiday is much more than that. The holiday began as people wanted to express their gratefulness to God for his abundant provision. Those that shared in that first Thanksgiving meal had known hardship...but they had also trusted in God and believed in HIs promises to care for them.  As they ate, they realized that despite hard times and seasons of loss, God was still God and everything they had was because of Him.

 

So how do we teach our kids to be thankful? It is more than making them say, "Thank you" when someone does something for them or gives something to them (though we insist on this as an act of courtesy).  No, being thankful is much more than just saying the words.  A thankful spirit recognizes, like the first celebrants of Thanksgiving did, that God has provided all we have and that He is the giver of all good gifts. I want my kids to see the great provision in their own lives (even if it at times feels like less that we would want).  I want them to see that although we may not be able to buy all that we like or do all that we would like, that God has still richly given to us.  We have more than the majority of the people on the planet. There are over a billion people living on less that $1 a day. We have been blessed and we dare not take it for granted. We have been richly blessed so that we can richly bless others.

We have a long way to go in learning how to bless others with a grateful heart, but we are trying.  We are trying to show our kids -- in word and deed -- that our love for God and our thankfulness towards Him is meant to overflow onto others.  And so, this past Thanksgiving weekend, we made a small attempt to let our kids be a part of that.  For them, it isn't yet out of a heart of compassion, but action brings feeling (not always the other way around as most people believe).

On Thursday morning, Jason and the kids went with our house helper to the pasar (local market) to make some purchases.  Our plan was to go out on Friday with packets of hot food to give some of the many beggars on the streets.  Every time we go to town, we pass many of the same people.  We often give money and our kids take great pleasure in rolling down their window and handing out a few coins (The discussion about giving to beggars is long and involved and one we have struggled with since we first moved to India over ten years ago. At this time, we feel led -- for a variety of reasons -- to give.) So while I prepared some food for our Thanksgiving meal, food was being purchased for others.

On Thursday afternoon, after our meal, Jason and some of the kids went to another store to buy some more provisions.  Our friends' plan was to go into the local village and bring dry goods (sugar, rice, oil, noodles, tea, etc) to some of the widows and orphans.  We picked up some of these same provisions to put into gift bags for our house help. Later that night, we met back at our friends house and all the kids (7 of them) worked to pack to bags of rice and other things for them to bring to the village.

On Friday morning, our helper Ibu Yenni worked hard to prepare the food (I totally would have done it, but as an Indonesian, Yenni is much more qualified to know how to cook for other Indonesians!) As the food was ready, we set up an assembly line and put together the hot packets of food: rice, tofu, chicken, and vegetables.

 

 

 

(Levi wasn't too excited about doing this at first...but as the morning went on, he got more and more into it)

 

 

Katie was the spoon girl and took her job very seriously!

 

 

 

 

 

When all was done, we had 27 packets of hot food, ready to be served.

 

Unfortunately, by the time we were ready to go out, Alaina's "little bit of warm" had turned into a full fledged fever and she was lying on our bed with barely a peep out of her.  Not my usual go-get-'em little girl.

 

 

We gave her some medicine in the hopes that the fever would come down enough that she would at least want to ride along, but no luck. The fever stayed high so we made the decison that Jason and the other kids would go without us.  The food was hot and really needed to get out there. The boys (and Katie) headed out.

 

 

From what they tell me, things went well.  The visited a few different areas...the roads right outside our development, the area where we get off the toll road (and often see beggars), and a few streets downtown. For some of the people they got out of the car to bring the food and for others they just handed it out the window.  Along with driving and wrangling three kids, Jason was able to get a few photos.

 

Caleb making his first delivery

 

 

In these next photos, the man was asleep so they decided to just leave the food next to him.  But as they started to leave, he woke up and started eating.

 

 

 

Bandung traffic...

 

Some of the beggars they gave food to

 

 

And some of the people downtown...

 

 

 

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We're so thankful...thankful for all that we have been given, thankful for a God who loves us, thankful that we get daily reminders that there are more important things than the newest gadgets and designer clothes, thankful that we are able to serve in a variety of ways, thankful that our kids can see what true need looks like so that they don't mistake their wants for "need", thankful that God allows us to take part in the work that He is doing, thankful that He answers prayers such as, "Lord, break my heart with the things that break Yours," thankful that He is so, so patient with us as we take little baby steps into dying to self and giving our lives to others.

Comments

[Ashley]

Wow janet, thanks so much for sharing these last few posts. This one and the one about the clean water project brought tears to my eyes. How very blessed we are. I am using the photo you took of the shacks by the dirty river as my desktop background to remind me to be thankful for what He has provided for my family and how we need to get out there in the world and give to others. Thank you <3

[Rhadonda]

I too thank you for sharing how you are being the love of God to so many. What a great experience for your family daily. Thanks again.

[Gypsy]

Awesome, just amazing! And such a great thing to involve your children in!

[jennyg]

oh Janet...thank you so much for sharing. i have missed your blog updates. what an experience..so eye opening....I love your last paragraph..and am praying the same pray as well!