Gratitude

 

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-18 ESV).  

 

One of the little things I learned from one of my mentors was the practice of acknowledging others. He taught me to write little notes on the birthday cards sent out each week. He insisted that notes of appreciation be handwritten for those special moments and expressions that often come our way. That might seem like a simple task, but when there are over two thousand members in your church, it often took the better part of an afternoon to accomplish the task. I never regretted the notes. It gave me a simple way to remember each person and some part of their lives shared with me through the years. And, I suppose the discipline stuck; I still write a little birthday note to all of the folks who follow me on Face Book.

 

At first, it might appear these notes are little more than an opportunity to make myself look good. However, the longer I did it, the more I realized that it was a means to instill gratitude in my life. Every person I meet along the way is a direct result of God doing something good in my life. Sometimes that’s a little more difficult to understand than at other times, but it is true.

 

We should practice the same kind gratitude toward God as we do others. We should realize that prayer is an important part of thankfulness. We might be inclined to believe that prayer is the appendix to a good day or a successful endeavor; however, much more than a mere act of polite etiquette. Prayer does more than punctuate God’s blessings. It helps us become more aware of God’s goodness and contributes to a growing sense of gratitude toward God. That is an essential discipline to learn for our daily life. We must not become one of the nine who were healed and never turned back as in our reading today.