Thanksgiving Thoughts (longer version)

Thanksgiving Thoughts (longer version)

I'm thankful that the Indians were kind to the pilgrims.

Thankful for the teaching of my parents to love our nation, the church and people in other religious groups.  My dad did not appreciate religious people being arrogant and self-righteous while attacking and making fun of people of other "faiths".
He wanted us to do our best to follow Jesus and leave others alone to do their own work. 

There is a verse I read in my reading yesterday that I don't ever remember being taught in church or any other studies in church or ministry training.  It has become one of my favorite verses of Jesus.

Luke 9.

⁴⁶ An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. ⁴⁷ Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸ Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
⁴⁹ “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
⁵⁰ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Jesus reminds us to be child like in our attitudes.  He encouraged us to be welcoming people especially to young people.  He wanted us to be careful to care for the less fortunate among us.

Some of Jesus' followers wanted to stop those who were "driving out demons" in His name.  Jesus said to not stop them because whoever is not against us is for us..
I miss my mother and dad on thanksgiving and get a bit sentimental about my home town area.  Fannin county Texas where I grew up was full of diversity.  We had people who were rich and some who were poor.  We had farm people and city people.  We had black, white and brown people. We had people who owned their land and people who rented their land.  We had people in our county who attended a variety of kinds of "churches."   I look back amazed that there was kindness extended to people across these lines and not everything was not always done properly.  It was good county, but not perfect and some embarrassing stories could be told of unfairness.

Some of these were churches who were fairly open minded to others and some who were not.

There is a delicate balance between confidence and arrogance.  In my opinion, confidence in our relationship with God as His child is good.  Arrogance that your group and those who think like you are the only children of God is not good.
Confidence that you have as much love from God as anyone is good.  Arrogance that you are better than others is not good.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."

My memory is that dad and mom taught our family that though we were farm people and members of a small church we were as good as anyone else but try to not look down on anyone else.

"Keep your head up."
"Look everyone in the eye."
"Treat everyone with kindness and respect."
"You are not a doormat.  Don't let others walk on you."

This little sayings and phrases have stuck in my mind as a part of my dad and mom's legacy to me. 

Yesterday, I was with several of my family members who attend different religious fellowships.  All of us had a good time together.  We had prayers for our food and thanked God for the blessings of our country, food and family love.  We had a good time as long as we were being kind to each other.
I'm thankful that the Indians were kind to the pilgrims.

Larry Wishard