On November 20, 2018 members of Central took part in the 20th anniversary of “Sharing Thanksgiving”. Begun in 1999 with the leadership of Luci and Perry Jernigan, this has become an annual outreach to neighbors in our community. The big question that is still unanswered is this: Who is blessed more – those who receive these groceries, or those who hand them out?
The idea has always been the same: Provide all the fixin’s of a complete Thanksgiving meal to those who might not otherwise be able to enjoy such a feast. In addition to either a ham or a turkey, families also receive stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, vegetables, cornbread muffin mix, instant potatoes, jello, cake mix and frosting, and a bag of candy.
Our 2018 distribution has gone out to around 165 families. If you figure three or four per family (some have many more than that!), we’ve helped approximately 540 individuals have a happier Thanksgiving.
But back to that unanswered question: We think it’s pretty clear who is more blessed. The answer is found in Acts 20:35: “… how [Jesus] Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” All who participate in preparing for this event are blessed. Several families take their children with them to shop for the ingredients, and use this as a teaching opportunity.
No one has given more than the Lord! But we’re walking in His steps, trying to show compassion to those around us, just as He did.
