Hi! It’s Day 3.

The excitement of Canadian Thanksgiving filled the Collins home a few weeks ago. The aroma of roast dinner floating though the house and the sense of all things are good. I blogged this truth and loved the concept of thanks living.

My children were most upset that I hadn’t purchased Pumpkin Pie for dessert.

‘But Mom, it’s thanksgiving…’ they cried in their twangy English accents.

I drove down to Coopers and the favor of God fell as I purchased the last pie in the store. I put on my best Canadian accent in case there was a battle of the pies.

As Bella and I left the store I saw a friend from the Hope Centre. He was sitting on the cold concrete, his cap empty. We chatted for a while, he’d had a good day. As I left I said ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ he responded with ‘Will you be down at the church this week’. ‘Yes’ I responded. ‘See you there!’

Thanks-living?

I drove home quiet.

We ate our thanksgiving feast, the taste of conviction strong.

I chatted with Phil who challenged me. Is this conviction or condemnation?

‘Conviction leads you to Christ, condemnation leads to guilt’.

Shortly after dinner I jumped into my car and went to find my friend. To change my response, take him a thanksgiving dinner, bring him to the house, buy him some groceries. ANYTHING!!

I drove around looking, searching, ‘Lord, just show me where he is’….

I would love for this to have the obvious happy ending, that I fed him roast dinner and my family made him feel loved and warm.

But I couldn’t find him.

Thanks-living?

As I drove around the streets of Rutland the conviction of God burned through to my soul.

Tears, gosh the tears.

As I said, the conviction leads you to Christ – to his heartbeat.

Why do I write this? Because although there’s not the obvious ‘happy ending’ the truth of God’s heart burned in me that day like never before for those who are hurting, hungry, empty.

As you know, I spend a lot of time in our Hope Centre, where these guys hang out – I feed them weekly, clothe them, and sit with them. As I wrote yesterday, they are like family.

But – it’s also about those moments. The one.

‘Simply take a moment and love the one in front of us. The pressures and busyness of daily life creates a self-focus that hinders us from stopping for the one. However, the love of God is made manifest through simple acts of kindness.  When you love God first and then love the one person He puts in front of you each day, the Gospel becomes simple’. Heidi Baker.

Next year Thanksgiving will look very different – you’re all invited!

Christ has no body on earth but yours;


no hands but yours;
no feet but yours.


Yours are the eyes through which he is to look out

Christ’s compassion to the world.


Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.


Yours are the hands with which he is to bless others now.

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

 Let me know who God places in your way today – keep your eyes open for the one.

See you tomorrow!

Love Michelle xoxo