Giving Thanks for the Body

2050 Thanksgiving Meals

Thanksgiving Day, Vivian, Amber, Robby and I took the morning and early afternoon to serve. It is a tradition that we started many years ago. This year, we partnered with eight churches to serve 2050 meals to families in the greater area. This is our first year but not the first year of this ministry.

Four years ago, a small group of Christ followers discovered that a local meals-on-wheels agency provided no meals for Thanksgiving. This is totally understandable when they serve 200 meals per day for 364 days (by the way, that is 72,800 meals per year). These individuals decided to stand in the gap and provide meals for those 200individuals.

A few years later, this ministry has blossomed to include 60 volunteers and 2050 Thanksgiving meals. Volunteers smoked and carved 180 turkeys, heated 100 gallons of corn and green beans and made cornbread dressing with 350 loaves of seasoned bread. Four people compiled 2100 containers of cranberry sauce. Drivers and assistants completed 50 routes to deliver all 2050 meals. Needless to say, it is a huge undertaking and growing every year.

The recipients include those alone and unable to provide for themselves or their family, as well as a group of migrant farm workers. Drivers met families in homes who, literally, were in tears of…well….thanksgiving.

We arrived home at 1:30pm and Robby and I quickly lit the grill to smoke our Turkey breast. Vivian and Amber prepared all the side dishes. Later for supper, we enjoyed our feast.

More importantly, though, we were thankful for the body of Christ doing what the body of Christ should do – taking care of others.

http://www.HopeChurchLakeland.org