Our Thanksgiving feast this year got me thinking. What if we started living every day like there is enough?
We celebrated the holiday early this year with more than enough of all of our traditional favorites. Gathered around a table laden with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and all of the trimmings, we took turns sharing what we are most thankful for. And enjoyed an evening filled with food and laughter and friendship and love. Like I said, there was more than enough. Of everything.
And that got me thinking.
Am I living every day like there is enough?
Not just enough gravy for the mashed potatoes, but enough of the things we all sometimes find ourselves scrambling for. Things like love, time, and money. Or resources, opportunities, and success.
Or do I buy into the world’s lie of scarcity? That there is not enough. So if someone else succeeds at a goal I’ve been aiming for, I better turn up the hustle. Because that’s one less spot at the table of success.
Leading up to our gathering, we texted one another with menu ideas, shared recipes, and decided on what wine and desserts to serve (we settled on four pies!) I worked happily on my part of the meal, preparing the stuffing, roasting the turkey, simmering the gravy, and enlisting the help of my sons to peel 10 pounds of potatoes. I never once thought about how my offering would compare to the asparagus casserole and cranberry sauce that Mona was bringing. Or how it would compare to any of the other items being lovingly prepared for all of us to enjoy. I only felt great joy and anticipation at all of us coming together to share our delicious efforts.
What if we could think about life like that? I prepare my specialty. You prepare yours. Our offerings complement each other and together make a delicious meal for us to share.
Believing the lie of “not enough” robs us of our peace and joy.
It’s the little green monster voice telling us that someone else’s success is somehow a reflection on our less successful efforts. That someone else’s talent shines a high beam on my lack of it. That someone else’s accomplishment somehow takes something away from me.
Or it’s the worry that keeps us up at night. That we don’t have what it takes to accomplish our goals. That the right opportunities won’t come along. That we don’t have the right amount of time, talent, or resources to reach our dreams. That’s the distorted focus of the scarcity lens.
Believing there is enough gives us a different view.
When we believe there is enough, we find inspiration in the stories of those blazing the trail ahead of us. They become a source of motivation, and their knowledge and experience can lead us to new ideas that might work for us too.
Instead of lying awake worrying, we rest on God’s promises and believe that He has gifted each of us with everything we need to accomplish the dreams He has placed in our hearts. We quiet the voices that tell us something can’t be done. And replace them with a prayer asking God to show us how.
Perhaps the greatest gift of believing there is enough is that it leads to a generous heart and spirit.
When we stop thinking that there is only so much to go around, grabbing our share while we can, always looking over our shoulder to see who might be gaining on us, we are free to be generous with our encouragement of others. And as we join in celebrating the success and joy of those around us, our own joy multiplies.
Whether you’re gathering with a crowd of friends and family this Thanksgiving, or having a quiet little holiday, I hope you find yourself feasting on more than enough. And maybe as you linger over pie and coffee, you’ll join me in wondering – what if we started living every day as if there is enough? Because with God, there always is.
I hope you find His abundant love and blessings as you take your place at His table!
Thanks, Jody! I needed this boost.
Thank you for this beautiful message Jody. Your gift of words and insight remind us that we all have such an abundance to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is my favorite season and this challenge of being thankful for having enough reminds me why this is so!
Thank you Jody. Such a beautiful reminder of the stuff that really matters. We have so much to be thankful for, no matter the portion…it’s enough. May God continue to bless your insight, thereby blessing us.
Thank you, Susan! I hope the holidays are a time of rest and healing for you.
Jody, what a blessing this was today! Thank you for reminding all of us what God has us thankful for!
Happy Thanksgiving, Eileen!
My sweet Jody, this is the message that I needed to hear today. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with all who read this message.
I hope your heart is filled to overflowing today with the absolute conviction that you are SO loved – by God and by me! Happy Thanksgiving sweet Mom of mine!