Thanksgiving in the Keys

I am thankful for all my friends, family, and the wonderful, interesting people who enter my life.

I've been helping around the church this week.  We packed and distributed 100 Thanksgiving boxes to needy families in our community.  How do you determine who is "needy?"  I suppose a lot of folks would want to help someone "deserving."  I also figure none of us want to feel like we are being taken advantage of.

Our boxes had a lot more stuff than I could list, designed to feed a large family or share with others.  Each box had a turkey, a roasting pan, yams, stuffing, green beans, canned vegetables, cranberries, pie crusts, pumpkin filling, eggs, butter, cream, and all kinds of stuff, of which I'm not really sure.  (I wasn't packing the boxes, I was helping somewhere else.)

Some of the boxes were destined for folks who had been suggested to us by those who knew of families who had faced unexpected financial or medical hardships, who were silently struggling.

About half of the boxes were delivered. 

Some of the folks came in ahead of time and signed up for a box.  The Thanksgiving boxes the last couple of years have developed quite a following.  We had been turning away applicants for over a week, when we had reached our 100 box fund capacity.

There was a procedure in place to pick up a box.  You had to come into the office, show an id, and get a ticket to pick up the box, which was over in the fellowship hall where our packers were steadily working.  The ID was compared to the ID listed on the previously filled out form.

It was interesting, and heart breaking watching folks come and go, and those who aggressively asserted their rights to a box.   We had the full spectrum of personalities.  We had a few folks try to by pass the system.  We had one or two try to pick up an extra box.  We had a lot of folks who hadn't signed up for the box, they just wanted one. 

Most importantly, we served some really grateful people, who were thankful that from another's bounty they can share in a good Thanksgiving meal.

I named my boat MERCY to remind me (who is more inclined to call for justice) that if it were not for God's mercy, I would have nothing.  God didn't judge me, or declare me ineligible for His program, He just opened His plan to me.... and to all of the other undeserving people.  He put a plan in place for me to follow... and I have that opportunity to comply.  I can't by-pass His system, and I certainly can't bully my way into His mercy.

Tonight, I'm really thankful in the Keys.