Let’s celebrate in Novembertake your pick: Marines Birthday, Nov. 10; Veterans Day, November 11; and/or Thanksgiving, Nov. 23. Let me start with Thanksgiving and tell you about a story that someone shared from his college days.
“One day at the house where several students were renting, an old man showed up at the back door. As the door was opened just a little, we saw that his eyes looked glassy and his beard was a silvery color. He was holding a wicker basket with a few very unappealing vegetables, and he offered his produce for sale. He made us both fearful and full of pity. The next week he came back. This time he introduced himself and told us he lived in the shack down the road. We got close enough to him this time to see he had not been drinking but had cataracts that marbleized his eyes. On later visits we realized he was completely blind. When he appeared one day with two unmatched shoes on, we decided to get a bagful of shoes and put them on his porch. The next morning when he stopped by, he exclaimed, “The Lord is so good! I came out of my shack this morning and found a bag full of shoes and clothing on my porch.”
That’s wonderful, Mr. Roth,” I said. “We are happy for you.”
“You know what’s even more wonderful?” he asked. “Just yesterday I met some people that could really use them.”
Did this very poor, blind man experience the true spirit of Thankfulness that we all would like to have?
