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Meditation 1154
The end result is the same

by: John Tyrrell

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I got lazy and went out for a fast food breakfast yesterday. I picked up the weekly McGuffy's news flyer (mostly advertising with a few brief articles and jokes) for something to read over my bacon 'n egger.

As this weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada, most of the articles were about that special day along with a dose of the heartwarming generic Christianity that McGuffy's likes to dish up.

One article caught my attention as I noticed something about the intended message - I'll reproduce the story in full here as I found no copyright notice.

The Greatest Thanksgiving

"Are you going grocery shopping today?" my husband, Roy asked when I picked up the telephone.

"Just on my way," I answered.

Thanksgiving was only a couple of days away and everyone would be coming to our house.  My funds were limited and my handful of coupons were already clutched tightly in my hand. Roy was silent on the other end of the line.  "Why do you ask?" I uttered, fearing what he might say.

"Nancy, there's a family with a half dozen kids that will not have anything to eat for Thanksgiving.  The little one is only five-years-old."

"What are you asking?" I whispered.

"While you're at the store could you possibly buy something for them?"  

My head began to spin thinking about the fifty dollars I had reserved for our family's Thanksgiving dinner. In the back of my mind I counted the hungry guests who would be coming to our house for dinner.  I put my head down on my desk, already feeling defeated. There's no way possible, I thought.  But the compassion I heard in my husband's voice struck a nerve inside me.

"Sure," I replied.  "But only if God helps."

"Thanks, sweetheart," Roy whispered.  "Just do what you can."

Praying I headed for the store where the turkeys were on sale. I grabbed my coupons, secured two buggies, and headed to the frozen foods.  The turkeys were indeed on sale, but I discovered one big problem.  When I read the sign posted on the freezer door my heart sank.  "Limit one." Now I needed two. I found the manager, explaining the problem.  He made an exception! I got two.

Tossing a turkey in each buggy, I began my shopping fury. It was amazing how many buy-one, get-one free items were being featured that day and, I had all the right coupons to get exactly what both families needed. I proceeded to the register and held my breath while the cashier rang up my groceries. To my surprise, I had enough money.  

That was the greatest Thanksgiving Day of my life.

By ourselves many things are impossible. But when we step out with God, all things are possible.

Now... what happens to this story* when we completely remove God and prayer from it?

The Greatest Thanksgiving

"Are you going grocery shopping today?" my husband, Roy asked when I picked up the telephone.

"Just on my way," I answered.

Thanksgiving was only a couple of days away and everyone would be coming to our house.  My funds were limited and my handful of coupons were already clutched tightly in my hand. Roy was silent on the other end of the line.  "Why do you ask?" I uttered, fearing what he might say.

"Nancy, there's a family with a half dozen kids that will not have anything to eat for Thanksgiving.  The little one is only five-years-old."

"What are you asking?" I whispered.

"While you're at the store could you possibly buy something for them?"  

My head began to spin thinking about the fifty dollars I had reserved for our family's Thanksgiving dinner. In the back of my mind I counted the hungry guests who would be coming to our house for dinner.  I put my head down on my desk, already feeling defeated. There's no way possible, I thought.  But the compassion I heard in my husband's voice struck a nerve inside me.

"Sure," I replied.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Roy whispered.  "Just do what you can."

I headed for the store where the turkeys were on sale. I grabbed my coupons, secured two buggies, and headed to the frozen foods.  The turkeys were indeed on sale, but I discovered one big problem.  When I read the sign posted on the freezer door my heart sank.  "Limit one." Now I needed two. I found the manager, explaining the problem.  He made an exception! I got two.

Tossing a turkey in each buggy, I began my shopping fury. It was amazing how many buy-one, get-one free items were being featured that day and, I had all the right coupons to get exactly what both families needed. I proceeded to the register and held my breath while the cashier rang up my groceries. To my surprise, I had enough money.  

That was the greatest Thanksgiving Day of my life.

We think many things are impossible. But when we make an effort, we can find it within ourselves to make some of those things possible.

Not much difference is there? Other than the concluding paragraph which required several changes to continue to make sense as the story's concluding moral, I deleted only the six italicized words to get God and prayer out of the tale. It makes no difference in the flow of the story and absolutely no difference in the outcome.

With a god or without a god, the end result is precisely the same.**

Notes:

* In my opinion it is just a story, not factual reporting of a real-life event.

** I think I wrote something like this long, long ago somewhere in the Articles of Faith.

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