"I have so much to be thankful for. I wouldn't know where to begin," she said.
I wouldn't know either. As I looked around her home I couldn't find a thing that she could include.
I have discovered that the friendliest, most welcoming people in the world are those who have little to offer.
What they lack in possessions they make up for in spirit and love.
I had been working for the Commission on Economic Opportunity. It was the year following the flood. My job was to interview low income families and assess their needs.
Up until that moment I thought I had seen it all. The odd thing was I was looking at nothing at all and this woman was thankful.
The home had actually been out of the flood area, yet it looked like it had been a part of the destruction.
The front porch steps were missing, replaced by a few cinder blocks and planks.
There were several broken windows and part of the foundation had caved in exposing the basement to the weather.
That particular day it was in the upper thirties with a heavy wind blowing snow from the west.
Thanksgiving Day was approaching and quite frankly my heart was not into doing these surveys. Like many others, I just wanted to start my holiday early.
This was the last stop for me.
Tomorrow like millions of other families we would be snuggled around the table filling ourselves to capacity.
Oddly I hadn't even thought about what this family was looking forward to.
I just figured they would be taken care of by some organization or church.
I looked around the kitchen for some sign of a charitable box of goodies but saw nothing there.
The house was bitter cold. The young children ran several times through the kitchen playing, laughing like any other child.
I happened to notice that they were bare foot on this cold linoleum floor.
At one point I said to one of the youngest girls, "You should go put your socks and shoes on before you get sick."
She replied, "Mommy did this man bring me some shoes I can wear?" "No, Sissy.
He didn't. Go put on a pair of mine. He's right you need something on your feet."
I was embarrassed for having put her in that position. "Well, I'm finished here.
Thank you for your time. I hope you have a wonderful . . . ." I didn't know what to say.
How could they possibly have a wonderful anything. "Look, I'm sorry.
I know there must not be much to be thankful for these days," I said nervously.
"Well, you certainly are wrong about that!" she said emphatically.
Then rising to her feet she walked into the living room and stood in the middle.
"My dear, I am truly blessed for all of this.
I know it doesn't look like much.
But who made the rules that say that we can only be thankful for things that cost money?" she said.
"Sit here on this chair," she told me. "That chair may be worthless even to a junk dealer.
But I sat in that chair and waited for months when my son was in the Vietnam War.
That was my worry chair. I sat in that chair, prayed and gave thanks when the good Lord brought him safely home to me.
It was in that same chair I was sitting in when they announced that John F. Kennedy was dead.
I wept in that chair. It was in that same chair I was sitting when my daughter came home from school and told me she was going to college cause she got a full scholarship.
It was my joyful chair.
It was also in that chair that I sat holding my Daddy's hand when he died. They had sent him home telling us there was nothing more they could do. He wanted to be at home.
I ate, slept and cried as I sat in that chair holding his hand.
He was all the world to me when I was growing up. I owed him that much.
So how much is that chair worth in dollars? Nothing. But I wouldn't trade it," she said.
Then walking over to a picture on the wall she said "You see this man?
He's my man. He's the man that has loved me for all these years. He's at work now.
He doesn't make much but he works hard for it. He paid for that chair in sweat.
How much money value do I put on him?
There isn't enough money in all the world for the true value of love."
"Those kids out in the yard. Yeah, maybe someone would say I'm not a good parent.
But you go and ask them if they love their Mommy and Daddy. Then tell me how much that is worth," she said.
Then walking closer to where I was seated she looked down at me and said, "I'm thankful for my sight, the touch of my baby's hand on my face.
I am thankful that I have good health considering everything else. I am thankful for my faith. Oh, how thankful I am that I have something to believe in.
I am thankful for the smell of hot biscuits and honey on Christmas morning. I am thankful for the second hand quilt the lady down the street gave me yesterday."
Then tilting her head and cupping her ear she said, "Listen .... do you hear that?
That's laughter. My kids are laughing as they are playing with all the other kids in the neighborhood.
How much would you pay to find something to laugh about when things aren't so good?"
Grabbing my briefcase, I stood up and walked toward her.
"So my dear. Should I go on? There is so much more I am thankful for that most people take for granted."
"No." I said. "Thank you."
"Oh sir," she said. "One more thing."
She walked over to the chair and sat down.
"I call this my "Thankful Chair". Tomorrow when we gather round the table to share whatever meal God will provide, and He always provides, I will be thankful that He had sent you here to talk to me," she said smiling.
"I believe that one day I will find that priceless," I said and walked out the door.
I was right.
Bob Perks "I believe in You!"
Used with permission © Bob Perks.
A special thanks to Bob Perks for use
of his poetry. You may visit Bob's site
at Bob's
Story Site.
Father
as
we
come
to
you
in
prayer,
forgive
us
where
we
have
failed
you.
As
a
sinful
nation
we
ask
that
you
forgive
us,
You
continue
to
bless
us
and
we
are
thankful
for
these
blessings.
We
lift
up
those
that
are
less
fortunate
and
ask
that
You
touch
all
of
us
that
You
have
blessed
generously
that
we
give
to
them
as
You
have
us.
Dear Lord be with the members of our Armed Forces and their families as they
sacrifice so much for us as. Father
may
the
Comforter
be
with
the
families
who
have
lost
a
loved
one
in
the
war.
Heavenly
Father
be
with
our
missionaries
throughout
the
world
as
the
spread
and
preach
the
gospel
of
Jesus
Christ.
Bless
them
richly
and
as
we
come
into
the
time
of
giving
let
us
remember
to
give
cheerfully.
And Father let us remember that You gave the greatest sacrifice of all, Your one
and only Son Jesus Christ. Father
we
thank
You
for
all
of
the
blessings
that
You
have
given
us
this
past
year
and
the
ones
that
You
will
continue
to
give
us
in
Jesus
Holy
name
we
pray.
Amen
As
you
think
about
the
above
story
from
Bob
Perks
how
often
do
we take
the worldly goods that money can buy us and forget to thank God for all of His
blessings. Often we will only thank Him during a Sunday morning church
service, during special occasions such as Thanksgiving, weddings and etc.
Take time and set down and reflect back upon the past year and by that write
down each month and think of the blessings of each month and jot them
down. You will be surprised of how many blessings that God gave you and
you did not even realize this. We all have a "Worry Chair" per
se, members of our church family have members in the Armed Forces that are
deployed in the fight against the Global War on Terrorism. I seriously
doubt that there are none of us that do not know of a family that has not or
does not have a loved one deployed. Remember the Armed Forces and their
families are the backbone of our nation now and have been through out our
history.
Today as we set down to a meal, remember that God's blessings are there
for all of us and that the "Worry Chair" is also a prayer chair as
well
as
"The
Thankful
chair".
Those
that
are
rich
in
spirit
are
also
rich
in
love.
Which
are
you
rich
in,
worldly
goods
that
money
can
buy
or
rich
in
spirit
and
love.
