An Abundant Thanksgiving

You will never have enough

Next weekend, Canadian families and friends will gather around dining tables across the country and share a Thanksgiving meal.  The outside of my refrigerator is covered in paper turkeys and handprint crafts depicting the things my children are thankful for. The fridge itself is filled with groceries for the big meal ahead. And yet, the unbidden whisper glances through the back of my mind when I least expect it, “What if…”

Abundance Mindset vs. Scarcity Mindset[1]

The fear of not having enough is real, and it can paralyze our best intentions. In our society, the scarcity mindset reigns—we tend to hold tight to what we have and seek more “just in case”.  But this is not God’s plan for his people.  Time and again, Scripture assures us that the Lord will provide (Genesis 22:9-14; Philippians 4:19; Ephesians 1:3), but we so easily forget. In Ecclesiastes 5:10, King Solomon wrote: “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income…” Although written thousands of years ago, this statement is no less relevant today. We cannot truly enjoy what we try to hoard. My fridge full of Thanksgiving groceries would simply go bad if I kept it all for myself instead of sharing the meal with my friends and family. Yet, an abundance mindset creates space for generosity.

Modelling an Abundance Mindset

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to cultivate and model an abundance mindset. This way of thinking operates on the assumption that the things we need are readily available and there’s enough to share. Each year at Thanksgiving, my family goes around the table and each person names something they are thankful for. This year, I think we’ll follow up by asking one another how we might share those things with others. What a fabulous dinner conversation!

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?  How have you or might you share these things? We’d love to hear from you.

[1] The Scarcity Mindset and the Abundance Mindset were each coined by author Stephen Covey in his bestseller ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”