CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I hope that you were with loved ones for Thanksgiving yesterday.
For several years now, my Thanksgiving has been small. There are typically two or three people at my table. I no longer cook a Thanksgiving meal. I have it catered. This year Hog Wild in Mosinee prepared an excellent meal.
I’m thankful for the restaurants that were open and serving on Thanksgiving.
I can’t imagine a business that I’d want to be in less than a restauranteur. The hours are demanding. The profit margins are small. And the business is highly competitive. A restaurant that’s cool and trendy when it first opens might no longer be the hip-and-happening place a few months later.
And yet every Thanksgiving, and again on Easter, there are restaurants that open for a free meal. There are too many to mention this year – I’d leave some out by accident. Giving away free meals on a large scale is non-sensical for a restaurant. Why in the world would they do that?
Because they are thankful. They are surviving in a challenging environment. It’s their way of giving back to the community that supports them for the rest of the year.
And that’s the lesson for all of us. When we are thankful, we live our lives differently. And I hope there is a religious component to your thankfulness. If God as always provided for you up to this point, why shouldn’t your faith extend to the future? If that’s your mindset, may generosity be the residue of thankfulness.
My Thanksgiving prayer this year: “Lord God, your portion for me has always been more than enough. And I am thankful. Help me to share with others.”
Chris Conley
I hope your spirit of generosity extends to the Gospel TLC in Weston. It’s a one-of-its-kind transitional living home for men who are tying to turn away from addiction and homelessness. The program needs monthly donors. People who give each month are the best way for the Gospel TLC to manage its finances. If you’d like to become a regular giver, I have a link here.
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