“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.

Deut 15:7-8 (ESV)

With Thanksgiving approaching, many of us are being bombarded with holiday messages and reminders that we must give thanks for what we have. This can prove to be difficult for many families these days, with so many out of work and finding themselves in what seem to be hopeless situations. Many have had to drastically change their lifestyles to compensate for losses, causing grief over the loss of those “better days”.

It is easy to throw your hands up, lock your door and isolate yourself from the outside world, either to hide from confrontations regarding your hardships or to just wallow in depression or worry. If we sit around wrapped up in our own situations, it can cause us to have a false sense of reality in relation to the rest of the world. One can lose sight of the many, and greater, needs of others. This disconnection can result in lost opportunities to experience God’s blessings.

This is not what the Lord calls us to do. We are called to give to the needs of others, even in poverty and the Lord will bless us. (Duet 15:7-8)  Giving to others in need will help you realize that you might have more to be thankful for than you think.  It is great food for the soul to get out there and make someone else’s life a little better.  So find an opportunity to serve others and you might just find yourself giving thanks for the many “hidden blessings” in your own life.