During the holidays, we tend to take pause and think more deeply about the least and the lost. Why is that? As Christians, we are called to love one another… always. We are called “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God”… always.
So, why is it that we are most in touch with love and mercy, honor and dignity, service, respect and grace during the holidays – especially Thanksgiving? It probably has something to do with the fact that giving thanks is an exercise in humility. It’s about taking a step back form the busyness of every day and investing in the people, places and things that mean the most to us.
As leaders, giving thanks and showing grace is how we grow. It’s how we learn to meet people where they are to help get them to where they need to be. Author, Anne Lamott once wrote, “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us.”
Grace is about receiving something that has not been earned, and the the more we show, the more we are able to realize just how much has been given to us. Thanksgiving is a great time to show grace, but it shouldn’t just be about one day out of the year… it should be a way of life as we consistently show appreciation for how our needs are met as we strive to meet the needs of others.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.