Ponderings

Written by cycleguy on November 23rd, 2014

This is Thanksgiving week (as if you didn’t already know!) ๐Ÿ™‚ It is going to be a short week in the blogging department since I plan to post on Wednesday night and not do so again until Sunday night. I know that seriously disappoints you, but I’m sure you will survive. ๐Ÿ˜›

Sunday I preached from Luke 17: 11-19-the story of the 10 lepers. If you know the story, they cried out for mercy (translated: please get us out of this living hell called leprosy) and Jesus gave them unique instructions: go the priest and show yourself to him. That would require 8 days of various inspections, sacrifices and rituals. On their way, they were healed and only one returned. There are three thoughts that hit me from that encounter:

1. How could anyone be cured as they were and be ungrateful? Let’s not be too judgmental and condescending though. How often have we been recipients of good things and failed to say thanks?

2. Notice who does come back: a foreigner, i.e. a Samaritan. The hatred between Jew and Samaritan has been well-documented. There is no need to reiterate that. But isn’t it sad that those who have the most reason to say thanks don’t?

3. It took an effort to come back. He was running to the priest when he saw he was healed. He stopped and returned to say thanks. Sometimes gratitude is inconvenient. Sending an email. Writing a hand-written note. Making that personal visit. All of them take an effort. But it is well worth it.ย  On the day I was writing this particular part of my sermon, all three of those things happened. It was really uplifting.

I am personally going to really try to focus my heart this week so Thanksgiving is not just a holiday to observe. I want it to be a lifestyle to be lived.

How about you?

 

22 Comments so far ↓

  1. Ceil says:

    Hi Bill! I like how you immediately ask that we not be judgmental. Oh my, how many times have I been blessed and not thanked the giver, or the One who inspired it? Yikes, I’d hate to think of it.

    I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and spiritual family too. May we all make thanksgiving a lifestyle choice!
    Ceil

    • cycleguy says:

      It is way too easy to become Judgmental for sure Ceil. Forgetting what we have been given is a major cause of that (and how much I have forgotten to say thanks for it). I have that same wish for you as well. Thanks.

  2. Absolutely, Bill. Daily choices, right and left, to offer praise. Not just a flash-in-the-pan, once a year deal.

    Amen.

  3. Daniel says:

    I think part of their reluctance to talk about their cures is that Jesus was public enemy #1. If they had claimed healing by the “pretender”, they might have put their lives in jeopardy. The Bible does not say this, but I have wondered. Regardless, I would like to think that I would have been one who returned. Who can know how they would act until a particular situation actually presents itself.

    • cycleguy says:

      I would like to believe I would have returned also Daniel but you make a good case for why I can’t say whether I would or not. The important thing is what do i do now.

  4. Sounds like preachers are on the same wavelength. Our pastor said something similar this morning.

  5. the Old Adam says:

    I guess we are all derelict when it comes to being as thankful as we ought be.

    I’m going to be extra thankful that our Lord does not hold it against us!

  6. cycleguy says:

    From Pamela David via email: I once read an email ( from Angels) telling how Gods INBOX of PRAYER REQUESTS was always full…but his INBOX of THANK YOU’S was very few. God has blessed our family immensely and I ALWAYS thank Him, and give Him all the praise and Glory for His blessings. We serve an AWESOME GOD.
    We should always be thankful to Him and remember to thank Him for both the good and the bad….there are lessons He wants us to learn from both.
    Enjoy your Spin letter.
    Thank you

  7. Sharon says:

    Sometimes gratitude is an attitude that I must choose. I tend to be a grumbler, and so it’s easy for me to focus on the negative. But, when I stop and remember ALL that God has done for me – most of all, the great and glorious gift of His Son – well, thankfulness comes easier, to say the least!

    Choosing to be thankful along with you this week!

    GOD BLESS!

  8. โ€œGive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.โ€ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

    True thankfulness is not ignoring the struggles; and the pain and fear that haunt us at times. Life is hard and difficult; it challenges us on a daily basis. Worry, doubt, fear and disappointments, they claw at us donโ€™t they? Life messes with us, with our faith and our peace of mind. However, in the middle of strife and struggle, thankfulness can change us, not our circumstances, us.

    And for that…I am grateful! Happy Thanksgiving my brother!

    • cycleguy says:

      Very true Jay about not ignoring life’s struggles. We have been given a mess of beans with the other philosophy: God wants all to go well. You are right: thankfulness can change us. Happy Thanksgiving to you to my friend.

  9. Dave says:

    Thanks so much, Bill, for this post. The story of the 10 lepers is always good to here again and again.

    And thanks to “the old Adam” for using the word “derelict.”

    And in answer to your question: Yes!

  10. Deb Wolf says:

    I’m always challenged by Paul’s words to be in Eph. 5, “to give thanks to God for everything.” Praying to pay attention and thank Him not just this week, but faithfully and continually. Thanks for blessing us with this important reminder.

  11. It’s convicting to think of how often I am ungrateful after getting what I prayed for. I think a lot of the times the reason is that when my anxieties don’t manifest themselves, I feel kinda silly and realize in hindsight that my worries were pretty farfetched. But I want to praise God anyway for granting my prayers, even if I now realize they were perhaps silly in reality.