Word on the Street

Thanksgiving may be our best holiday when it comes to simply being together with others. The great feast itself is normally accompanied by pre-feast appetizers and after-feast second helpings and leftovers. In reality the food is simply garnish for the greater experience of fellowship with family and friends.

The early Christians understood the concept of simply being together as loved ones. They called it Koinonia. We translate the word "fellowship". Fellowship is another Godly pathway to contentment. Instead of being pursued by happiness, we can choose the gracious gift of being together.

Robert Kriegel is the author of the book; If IT Ain't Broke...Break IT! In it he writes:

"What often goes missing in the bumper-sticker, The One Who Dies With the Most Toys Wins philosophy of life are considerations of the cost of consumption. Not just the initial down-payment costs, but the subsequent emotional, family and psychological costs.

The greatest irony in the pursuit of the most toys is that it inevitably requires the most time to get them, leaving the least time to use them. Pollster Lou Harris has found that people have an average 32 percent less leisure time than they did a decade ago.

With there being only so many hours in the day, something has to give. Consequently, the dream car has been parked so long it's used more air in the tires than gas in the tank. The country house for weekend getaways may as well be in another country. The two-week ski trip to Europe has been delayed for the third winter. And the treasured wooden skiff hasn't touched anything wet in eight months. Blessed are the toys for they shall inherit the...dust!"

I pray your Thanksgiving is a feast of great fellowship.