Giving Thanks

In that wonderful passage of Scripture in Luke 17, Jesus meets a group of men, all of whom are lepers. In that day, having leprosy was a difficult thing with which to deal. Being a leper was even more difficult because they were the scourge of society and even family. They were ostracized, ignored, and above all, kept at a safe distance, but Jesus met these ten men and did a remarkable thing. He healed every one of them, restored their lives to wholeness, and sent them on to the priests to be examined. As they went, they realized what had happened and certainly were filled with joy.

One of the ten turned back to go and find Jesus. When he found Him, his joy turned into total praise and adoration. Then Jesus asked him, “Were there not ten?” (Luke 17:17) Knowing that there were, He asked, “Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17) As that thanksgiving text again and again flows through our minds (and not just during Thanksgiving season), I often reflect on the fact that I want to be numbered among the one who gave thanks, not the nine who didn’t.

As we come to Thanksgiving, I just want to give thanks. The line from old song we used to sing, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done, is only inaccurate in that it will astound you what the Lord has done. Stop and begin to think of all the things God has done for you for which you can give thanks. I invite you to walk with me as we take to heart that simple word – thanks – and join with me as I reflect on people, things, and events for which I give thanks.

T stands for teachers. I was never a child genius nor even a child phenom of any kind, but I can remember many of my teachers. Some of their names are gone, but their kindnesses and reflections in my life to help me remain until this day. I think of teachers who taught me reading. Gathered in that circle, my turn would come and with fear and trembling, I would hope I got the words right as we read of Spot and Jane. I thought reading would never get easy. I remember math teachers I had as I faced the difficult tasks of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, and it all got more and more complicated. They kept guiding me along. History teachers, biology teachers, algebra teachers, geometry teachers, coaches, and even teachers who tried to help me learn to sing. In college and then seminary, I recall Bible professors and language teachers who did so much to broaden my understanding of God at work in my life. They helped me to see how I could be used as a servant of God. Teachers – all of them important, all of them contributing to my life far beyond anything they understood at the moment. I’m grateful for the teachers in my life.

H stands for health, a marvelous thing. If you doubt the wealth of health, just go without it for a while. I suppose most people from time to time have some deficiency or some frailty or some sickness or pain that bothers them, but if overall you’re able to get up, enjoy the friendships of life, and participate in the activities of life, you have a good thing for which you need to stop and thank God. I’ve enjoyed far more days of good health than I have of the pains and hurts of life. At this season, I can only say thank you God for health.

A stands for awe. I give God thanks that I still experience awe. I frequently see folks who have lost their sense of awe, or it has been forgotten or turned into cynicism or creeping criticism. You don’t have to be old; you can be young and miss so much of life that is actually awesome. For examples, the awe of watching a kid learning to dribble a basketball, or the surprise of sitting and talking to a soldier who begins recalling the stories of World War II and the guys with whom he went to battle. I think of the awe of the joys of faith, alive and meaningful as exhibited in worship, and sadly some folks don’t have awe. I think about the profound encounters with the realities of life as we have to come to grips with its brevity, maybe at a funeral occasion, and it becomes an awe-striking moment. I think of the awe that comes upon me when I realize what blessings are mine in friends or food or just the pure grace and goodness of God. I stand in awe, and thank Him.

N stands for nostalgia. The word itself is associated with homesickness and that’s not a bad thought, for much of what takes place in our lives between Thanksgiving and Christmas is to hear those songs that grab hold of us and take us back to a day that seemed to be so perfect, so rich with warmth and good things that we become nostalgic. That is a good thing, but it’s not just what was. We can think about what will be, too. Nostalgia can grab hold of our hearts and carry us into a day when everything truly will be perfect and we will be with the Lord and His people forever. Give thanks for nostalgia.

K stands for knowledge, just the pure information of life as you think about and think through information that you have gained through life. What a delight knowledge has provided to bring meaning to life and enhance the strength of relationships. I’m not just talking about a book of history that you have read about some event in time, though appealing to me. I’m not talking about learning some complicated scientific theory, but more significant are some little pieces of knowledge that even to this day, in my life have become a part of what I did. For instance, I tied my shoes, and I remember the wonderful joy I felt the first time I ever did it by myself. I was between four and five years old, and oh my mamma was so proud of me and I was proud of me, too. I tied my shoes this morning and was thankful. There is the knowledge I learned at home by being encouraged a dozen times, maybe a thousand times, to be polite to people and even if people are not polite to you, you be polite to them. Even if you don’t understand why they treated you wrong, treat them right. It’s just a little piece of knowledge that I am convinced is not being passed along by moms and dads like it used to be, but what a valuable thing it would be if kids and then adults were to learn the value of being polite. I guess I could write a book on little pieces of knowledge that have made a profound difference and how God provided for me to receive that knowledge.

S stands for Savior. This is the beginning of all the good things in my life. I’m thankful that He gave me the earthly family in which I grew up and with whom I have been with all these days, but it was when I came to know Jesus that what He was doing before that moment and after that moment and into the decades that would come, that Jesus was there with me doing good things to provide for me. So celebrate, give thanks, and on Thanksgiving Day just pause and say, “Lord, I’m just one who says thank you.”

The author can be contacted at directions@mbcb.org.

Jim Futral

Executive Director-Treasurer
directions@mbcb.org

11-24-16