Give. Thanks.

I hope you are all enjoying a lovely Thanksgiving Day.  Here's my thanks and giving story:

An announcement was made in church that so many local families (who are tightly screened by a non-profit clearing house) were in need of help to have a Thanksgiving meal on their table. No help, no meal.  Or at least nothing special.

I felt really good calling and offering a check to cover a meal for a family. But no, that's not how it worked.  The were assigning families that you had to call and then deliver a meal.  Like in person. Take food to someones home that you didn't know. After you called said people that you didn't know.  I am not a phone person, and I'm greatly skewed to the introverted side.  This was not at all in the plan.  I was going to write a check and be done with it.  Nice and clean, far away, removed and safe.  Oh! And she mentioned that this was a part of town that I should not go to after dark. Okaaaayyyyy.  Feeling even better about this.  Not really, I was wishing I had never gotten involved in this mess  charitable event of sharing.  But here I was. I had a name and address of someone who was counting on me.

I shopped. I bagged. I was ready....to get it over with honestly.  This morning I called and was in touch with the man of the house (and I was hoping for the lady!) but we set a time I would be there and off I went.  As I found my way, I realized I was not more than a block and a half from the back door of our church.  I think I could almost see the top of the roof.   A nice older gentlemen met me on the sidewalk, I handed him the bags of food, wished him a happy Thanksgiving, and I was off. Done.  It was really anti-climactic for all the worry I put into it. 

But Thanksgiving morning I will think of one table in our town that has food on it (along with many others provided by other generous people with probably a better attitude than I had) and be glad that I went out of my comfort zone a teeny bit. 

I gave. I am thankful. I am thankful for the chance to help. I am thankful for being in a place where I can help, because there were many years when I couldn't have done it, there wasn't enough to share in our early married budget.  There were times when my mom and I were invited to Sunday lunch at a neighbors, and I know it was a relief to her and our tight budget at the time to be provided one meal she didn't have to pay for. 

So I am thankful for my chance, for the ability, and that my gift was received and will be useful even in the midst of my sort of snotty less than perfect attitude. 

Thanks for the chance. And the lesson.