Giving thanks: Doesn't it require more than just words?

It's so cold out tonight-nothing extreme really, but it was 70 here in good ol' fickle-weather Kentucky just a couple of days ago, so the cold hurts.

I think the cold was good for a cause tonight though.  Several local folks gathered at the county courthouse to discuss the need for, and plans for, opening a homeless shelter in our county.

The biting cold certainly made me think about how miserable and frightening it would be to have to spend the night outside in some makeshift shelter.

I also thought about how self-indulgent, or selfish, I can be. Remember that post I wrote on Tuesday,
about my hard day, and how I came home and ate more than I needed, and crashed on the couch in my super-cozy fleece pajamas?

I was thankful for the comforts of home, but I'll admit I didn't once think of those who might not have a home, or many comforts.

But tonight, after that meeting, I'm thinking about it, and I'm feeling a little ashamed.

Someone there quoted the scripture that says, "To whom much is given, much is required."

That puts a different perspective on gratitude and suggests that true thankfulness is more than saying so.

It's about passing it on...