“One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.”

I have a friend who grew up as one of 19 children. They were incredibly impoverished. I’ve often heard her speak of mealtime at their house and how little there was to go around. She talked about how, at times when a chicken was served, she would end up getting the neck bone or some other piece where the bone was much more prevalent than the meat. She also talked about eating the bones. To this day, if you dine with her on chicken, it is not unusual for her to eat the bones. Nothing makes us more grateful for what we have than living without it. That can be true about material things, food, physical health, and even mental health such as peace and calm. I grew up in a solid middle-class family. We had little to spare but enough. Over my years of ministry, I’ve worked with those who have much and those who have very little. It’s always a blessing to watch those with much bless the lives of those with little. The degree of gratitude for simple things—such as a jacket when it’s cold, a meal when they’re hungry, a kind word, and simple presence when they’re hurting—is profound. Solomon wants us to hunger for God and the things of God. It is easy to hunger for the things we don’t have. It can be more difficult for those of us who have everything we need and most of what we could possibly want. The challenge is to realize God offers so much more. Today, bless others and stay hungry. #BeTheEdge

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” —Jesus

Happy Thanksgiving