For those who celebrated Halloween, it’s behind us for this year.  Let go of the scarecrows and skeletons for now. Christmas is right around the corner, but at the present time we are just a few days away from Thanksgiving Day. Oh, we know that every day is a day of Thanksgiving. But just the thought of that tender turkey, juicy ham, well-seasoned dressing, candied yams, pumpkin and potato pies, and those soul food dishes we know as collard greens with ham hocks, buttered corn on the cob, potato salad, fried chicken, pecan pie … Oh, we could just go on and on, couldn’t we? Yes I know, not the best healthy-cooked foods, but it goes without saying that every once in a while most of us find ourselves indulging in dishes that we know to be unhealthy for us. But just the thought of Thanksgiving dinner makes our mouths water, our tummies go yummy, and our brains think Hmm! Hmm! Good!
In a recent conversation with an acquaintance from South Africa, the subject of celebrating Thanksgiving came up. She reminded me of how blessed the U.S. is and how thankful its citizens should be. But instead of being extremely grateful, she stated that most of what she hears are complaints. Her words were, “No one in this country is truly poor. You have more food than you can eat, more clothes than you can wear. You have hospitals and doctors that can treat you in minutes. You are not poor until you have to walk miles for two gallons of water every day, wait for food to be dropped from an airplane, and walk miles to church every Sunday morning to worship in a tent with dirt floors. But it is the norm for my country, so we just say thank you to God and keep going.”  Hmm!
Before you sit down to your Thanksgiving feast this year, let’s do more than just be thankful for our abundant blessings. Let’s do more than pray for the hungry and less fortunate of this world. Why not find a reputable charitable organization to help feed the hungry in another country? Why not make donations or pack a bag of non-perishable items and deliver to a local charity that feeds the less fortunate in your own community? I promise you, these acts of kindness will help you enjoy your own Thanksgiving feast with a clear conscience. Then not only will you be repeating the old Campbell’s Chicken Soup slogan all during your own meal, but you will have helped somebody else say with gratefulness in their hearts, Hmmmmm!  Hmmmmmmm! Good!

Lodenia Coleman is pastor, Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church, Americus.