Thankful Thursday


Well I have a lot to be thankful for again this week. Things are going well for us and I have nothing but blue skies ahead. At least I hope that is what's ahead. Today I am only listing one thing I am thankful for but it is a biggie.

Today I put on a dinner at work to raise money for Good Neighbor Fund toys. What we do is collect toys to send along with the Christmas food baskets. That way the families are fed and the children get something under the tree on Christmas morning. And here is why I volunteered to do it:

When I was 16 our church gave out Christmas food baskets. My best friend and I delivered a few of the baskets ourselves. One of the houses was a little shack in the woods behind a bar. The shack was about 20 ft by 20 ft. There was a kitchen with no windows, a tiny living room, a bathroom with no door and one bedroom. When we arrived to drop off the groceries, a young girl answered the door. She was about 10 and wearing a dirty one piece bathing suit. She was the oldest child and the baby sitter for her two younger siblings. The younger kids were about 5 and 3. The two younger children were also dirty and sitting on the wooden floor. There were no toys in sight.

There was an open can of baked beans on the stove burner that we assumed was their breakfast. We asked where their parents were and the oldest girl said that her mother was out and that she didn't have a father. (the mother was most likely in the bar, "working")Anyway we dropped off the groceries and then went to leave. When we got to the car we realized that we missed one of the bags. So we went back to the house and knocked on the door again. When the door was open, we could see the two younger children on the floor eating some of the bread that we dropped off. Apparently they were starving. So my friend and I went and got some toys and brought them back for the kids. We also got some people from the church to donate some used children's clothing.

So today I am thankful that I have never had to go without like so many children in the world have to do. And that is why I raise money for needy children.

Have a blessed day,
Greg

Comments

Wanda said…
Greg, I'm tearing up, as I have had similar experiences, and it breaks my heart.

Every Christmas growing up, my Dad would find a needy family, and we would do food, Christmas Tree, toys...The look on their faces...
I so admired my Dad for doing that.
Beth Herring said…
I am so blessed to be part of this again!

I know that God will bless you and your fellow workers for giving to those in need. We do the Samaritan's purse each year and it is such a joy!
Wonderful post. I think the giver often experiences greater joy than the recipient. How symbolic that the kids were eating the bread! And you could probably imagine how they had torn into it as soon as you left.

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