Would You Set an Extra Plate?

It appears we had some escapees from the Thanksgiving feast. I want to say to these visitors: Hey guys, we'd love to have you for dinner on Thursday. Stop on by! Thank goodness I already got my bird at the store!

It did remind me, though, that I should share this week's column from the church bulletin...

Would you set an extra plate?

“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” 

– Luke 14:13-14

If you didn’t know Thanksgiving was coming up this week, all you’d have to do is stop by a grocery store and it would become pretty evident. Lots of shoppers vying for the same staples of the annual feast: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pies, whipped cream, dinner rolls, and the fixings for the mysteriously popular green bean casserole.

And that’s just for starters. This year is my turn to host my in-laws. As the hostess, I wouldn’t dream of anyone going away hungry. Gotta be sure there are plenty of side dishes “just in case.”

Just in case… what? I don’t know. Who hasn’t been as stuffed as the giant turkey? I hope I’m not the only one who knows you also have to wear stretchy pants so you aren’t forced to unbutton that top button before it pops.

Somewhere between the football game and after-dinner nap, gratitude turns to gluttony. It’s tradition.
With all the stress of preparation, would I be willing to set an extra plate or two for someone who actually needed a decent meal? Or would the thought of more mouths to feed send my blood pressure skyrocketing?

I’m pretty sure we all know what our answer should be. Jesus spells it out for us in those verses from Luke. A perfect message as enter Thanksgiving week and we embark on the season of giving. Are we typically generous because we anticipate something in return? Or are we truly giving to those who cannot repay us?

Something to think about as we nod off in our recliners Thursday afternoon. Or as we fight pre-dawn crowds for those must-have Black Friday deals.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with blessings and a multitude of opportunities to bless others.