Honor Giving

Okay. It seems that I've been a holiday blogger. This was not my original intent, but I'm believing that this will change next year. I really do enjoy writing, but family, work, and the joys of life win my time and attention on a daily basis. 2012 will be different. You will be reading a lot more posts from me. If you choose to be a follower, please feel free to comment and critique any post. I welcome any feedback (good or bad) that you may provide. I would appreciate it!

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is upon us again. The holiday season is my favorite time of year. There is a noticeable shift in the atmosphere as people get ready to celebrate life with friends and family. I do realize that this "atmosphere" is not necessarily a positive "shift" for some, but  I think for most of us it's "the most wonderful time of the year" (sorry, couldn't resist the cliche).

Apart from eating great food (and lots of it) Thanksgiving can be a time of reflection. In fact, how often are we encourage to do some form of reflecting from ministers, well meaning friends, celebrity tweets, and even the media? Why is it so important? I believe that it's important because it honors the giver. To truly be thankful, honor must be present.

When we give thanks for our family we honor them for the love, compassion, joy, and even the trials that draw us closer to one another. When we give thanks for our friends we honor them for the laughter shared, perhaps a time of mourning together, and any sacrifice they may have made to be a part of our journey.  We honor our service members by thanking them for their service to our country and for protecting the freedom that we enjoy. When we are thankful it honors the giver. For those who are truly thankful, honoring others comes very natural for them.

We are taught from an early age to be thankful, but have we learned to honor others? 

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another..." ~ Romans 12:10 NKJV