Day 330 of Photo Inspirations -- Treasure Hunt for Treasures
Thanksgiving Week is well underway at Nana's house. The Treasure Hunt for Bryson was a success that led to awesome treasures, not just for him, but everyone! $5 Dollar Tree cards. It's a "must-have" trip while they're here.
Plungers were the big buy last time they were here. I know that sounds gross -- but not when they're turned into swords or batons, and NOT used for that which they were originally intended! LOL!
On their own, a couple of years ago, the kids, with their $5 in hand for their trip to the $1 store, started the tradition of having a White Elephant/Dirty Santa" gift exchange with their $1 store items. They meticulouly choose their items and when they're back home, the mayheim begins. They get out gift wrapping paper and gift bags and go to an individual secret wrapping place and wrap each of their $1 treasures.
Then the gift exchange begins. You would think those bags/wrapped gifts contained $50 items instead of $1 by the excitement. Honestly, it is worth the effort, because it's such a fun adventure and exchange. One of them bought the Santa hat -- thus Lexi's stylin' in this photo; Bryson had purchased a $1 t-shirt and came home and wrote "I love Lexi on it" -- he wanted to keep it when he drew it for himself. They have so much fun -- it's honestly a highlight of coming to Nana's at Thanksgiving.
I love this special time together. All eleven of us are packed in my not-so-big house. Only 2 or 3 times a year, do I think about back when we had a huge home with plenty beds and bedrooms that accommodated all of us so nicely. But I've figured out....even in cramped places, love, celebration and great silliness can abound. Blow-up and fold-up mattresses in my office and closet -- create a just fine, "camping indoors" experience for the kids. And, there is no way to complain or wish for the "good ole' days" when I consider the meager existence that so many in our world live in -- barely a roof over their head to call home, no running water, dirt floors, with just a mat to sleep on. According to the United Nations Development Programme, more than a billion people in the world live with less than a dollar per day; almost almost half of the global population, live with less than 2 dollars per day. That puts a whole new perspective on a "trip to the $1 Store. When we give ourselves mental visuals like that, then "BLESSED beyond description" is how we should feel -- no matter what our living conditions might be.
And, BLESSED, is the operative word -- not, "lucky","fortunate", "deserved" or "privileged". We ARE BLESSED! And we are blessed -- to be a BLESSING!. We can't just simply say "THANK YOU", and go on our way. We MUST do something about those blessings. In fact, we're held accountable for them. Luke 12:48 says ".......when someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." There is responsibility that comes with blessings. Actually, it becomes a cycle of blessings, because we see in Proverbs 11:25, "The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped." It's that "give and it shall be given", law of reciprocity....that just keeps on giving.
So, this Thanksgiving week, while we're in an attitude of gratitude, let's remember that we are blessed to bless; gifted to give; forgiven to forgive; loved to love. Instead of Thanksgiving, just maybe our mindset should be Thanks AND Giving!
