Thanksgiving, Day 2

Friday, November 29, 2024

Thanksgiving: Day 2

Reading:

“The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.”[1]  

Reflection:

There is a direct relationship between what we give and what we receive. Farmers and gardeners know this well. If they do not plant in the spring, there will be no harvest in the fall. The lessons of sowing and reaping are less obvious today since few of us grow our own food. But not so many generations ago, inadequate attention to spring planting could result in an uncomfortably lean winter. Demonstrations of sowing and reaping are all around us, as the decisions of the past manifest their consequences today. We have sayings that speak these truths: “The chickens come home to roost.” “We get what we deserve.” “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” But the time and events that intervene between cause and effect make the direct connection of past to present easily overlooked.

Paul addresses the concept of sowing and reaping in today’s reading, noting that we must sow in abundance to reap in abundance. And those who receive in abundance must also share abundantly, as this is critical part of sowing for our future. We sow many different types of seeds during our lives: seeds of kindness, hard work, of love and generosity. We also, however, sow seeds of impatience, greed, and other less-than-desirable traits, all of which return to us in one way or another. So, if in this season of Thanksgiving, we do not receive as abundantly as we had hoped – whether we were seeking kindness, love, or material blessings – we should carefully consider the seeds we’ve sown in the past.

Closing Meditation:

Close this time with a few minutes of silent reflection on the nature of the seeds you sow.

Journal the thoughts or feelings that arise.

This daily series, Contemplative Christmas, is replacing my weekly Life Notes until January 6, 2025, when my weekly blog will resume. The thoughts expressed here are mine. To engage with me: ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] 2 Corinthians 9:6-8