Abounding

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  (2 Corinthians 9:8)

There is a man I know quite well, named Robert, who speaks very little about God, but nonetheless exudes kindness, mercy, and forgiveness.  As a young child, he lost his mother and sister within a two-year period to a disease that antibiotics would now easily cure.  His father, feeling that the young boy needed a mother to care for him, quickly married a widow with two children of her own.  But this newfound stepmother treated Robert as a burden rather than a son, and his father was too honorable a man to divorce the woman. On his 18th birthday, Robert's stepmother kicked him out of the house, forcing him to fend for himself.  Not long after, he was drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam, a scared and lonely kid whose country blamed him for being involved in something he never had a desire to be part of.

Robert had every reason to be bitter.  Life had dealt him a cruel hand.  But instead, he chose to embrace the strength and generosity God had given him through the spirit of the living Christ.  He studied diligently and earned a steady job as a machinist.  He met and married a vibrant, loving woman, and started a family of his own.  He was determined to raise his children to be strong, loving, and most importantly to know they were loved.  All the while, he regularly welcomed his father, stepmother, and step-siblings into his life and home for holidays and family events, and he tended to them and their homes as best he could when they required care.  Regardless of the past, he believed in honoring his parents and showing them hospitality and grace.  Sometimes it was uncomfortable, difficult even, but he always met them with patience, humility, and warmth.  Today, Robert is enjoying hard-earned retirement as he joyfully dotes on his children and grandchild.

Robert, like all men, is imperfect.  He, like all men, is in need of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  But he never fails to remind me that when you have God, you have all you need to make a way in this life.  When you choose to follow God's path, you will in all things, at all times, have all that you need to abound in every good work.  When you choose to follow God's path, every day is Thanksgiving, no matter your circumstances.  When you choose to follow God's path, love abounds.

Robert speaks very little about God.  Instead, he allows his life and his actions to do the talking.  This Thanksgiving, as always, I have the privilege of sharing a meal with him and immersing myself in his humble example of love.  I have the honor and privilege of calling him Dad.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.  Remember that with Christ at the head of the table, you are part of a family unlike any other.  Eat, remember Him, and be filled with His abounding love.