A reflection of Thanks & Giving

We live in a world of deadlines, overloaded schedules, and nonstop work. For some, it’s 16-hour days; for others, it is a seven-day work week. In the constant motion and stress of day-to-day life, it’s hard to stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Maybe that is what makes long weekends so appealing. As we approach the day in which families gather to break bread together, I wanted to take a moment to pause, take a deep breath, and reflect on the season of Thanks & Giving.

In my life, I have experienced many different forms of Thanksgiving. I have eaten dry turkey, smoked turkey, fried turkey, baked turkey and every imaginable form of stuffing. However, I couldn’t pinpoint what year I ate what. The food is not what captivates me most about this holiday; instead, it is the gathering of families to enjoy fellowship. A brief pause before the madness of last-minute holiday preparations for Christmas, but a valuable one nonetheless.

This year has been a year of profound change, both for Scalpel at The Cross and for me, personally, as well. As most of you know I started working for Scalpel in the middle of August. Four months later, I could not be more thankful for the change Scalpel has brought. Scalpel has professionally challenged me to accomplish goals I never thought possible. Scalpel has also blessed me with the opportunity to work alongside a God-centered family. It has challenged my heart and mind to expand in compassion for community 2,500 miles away. Scalpel has blessed me with the ability to learn more about who I am as a son of God. It has challenged me to seek God more vigorously as we wholly depend on His providence. Scalpel has blessed me with the opportunity to see Him respond in unimaginable ways to my human mind. Every step forward on this journey with Scalpel has been a reminder that everything I can accomplish has to be met with gratefulness for God, who is unfathomably omnibenevolent.

As I reflect I am reminded of Jesus’ words in the gospel of Luke. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” Luke 12:48. An ordinance to reciprocate all that is given. Beyond financial giving, God has challenged me to give more of myself to families who I will never meet and to love on strangers who live in a vastly different environment than I do. A task impossible to do without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Even more so, He has shown me that I am not alone. I work with a team of professionals from the medical to the private sector who pour out their hearts for Peruvians they’ve never met. Why? Because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We may not be getting together this Thursday to break bread. But we hold on to the faith we profess in which one day we will all break bread in a feast prepared for us. For this I am thankful.