Thanksgiving is approaching and I’ve got an idea for you: Make sure you have a solid 2G connection.

Now, I anticipate some objections: “2G? That’s so 2010.”

“When my device says “4G,” it’s pretty slow.”

“Does a 2G connection even work these days?”

Hold the phone! I’m not talking about 2G as in ”second generation wireless networking.” I’m talking about two special G words: gratitude and generosity.

This 2G, gratitude and generosity, is what makes thanksgiving possible. Thanksgiving is more than an American holiday, after all. It’s also a spiritually awakened state of the heart that we can embrace every day.

Gratitude (G one) is the heart’s faithful response to all that God has done for us. Generosity (G two) is our God-inhabited heart overflowing when we see a need and want to help. Together, it’s the 2G connection.

2G makes us better people. We’re kinder and more resilient when we are thankful for what we have. We’re more in tune with the moment and the people in our presence when we’re eager to share with others. Share what? Well anything. Our domestic chores of cleaning and cooking, our hospitality, our patient ear.

Listen, if you’re not buying it and think that a 2G connection isn’t going to hack it in 2022, I invite you to think about what God has done for you. (Hey, there’s another G). God is with us always and with God comes an overflowing of gifts (a G word again). There is grace, there is goodness, there is glory. There are more “G”s than you ever thought possible. God enriches the lives of those who seek Him with gratitude and generous hearts.

You already know the power of 2G, Galilee. I’m grateful that you are a generous church. Not two weeks ago, we put up the Mission Tree in our lobby and I made one mention of Kingsway Prison Ministry, our partner in support of children of incarcerated Virginians. The day the tree went up, all of the ornaments were taken from the tree—ornaments on which jailed mothers and fathers requested gifts for their children. Think of the kids that will be supported this Christmas because of grateful and generous people like you.

This Thanksgiving, as we gather around the table with our families, I know that there are issues that may divide us. Don’t let them. There are problems in our relationships that put us on edge. Be at peace. Maybe we feel tense about gathering together. Don’t be afraid.

I invite you to bring to the Thanksgiving table your 2G heart: share something that you’re grateful for. And be generous in your love for one another.