Pastor Paul preached a great message Sunday on Gratitude. With some of us (most of us?) we don’t think about gratitude very much. It’s only when we see a video like the one we saw from Voice of the Martyrs and on the evening news that makes us grateful that we don’t have to do jobs like cleaning our sewers, sweeping trash for a living, or running with our child in our arms to prevent being injured?
The word “thankful” or a derivative of it is found 104 times in the Bible. I know, as a parent, it means a lot to me when my children show their appreciation for the things I do for them. How much more does it mean to God who has given us life in sacrificing His life, and the very air we breathe?
I know that I take so much for granted sometimes, and then when I lie down at night in a clean, comfortable bed, I think about the homeless who probably don’t even have a clean blanket to wrap up in. We’re the richest country in the world and most of the time we take things for granted like clean water, our choice of foods we eat, and meeting at church without fear of reprisal or being thrown in jail.
I just want to say “thank you” to God who loves me, my family who cares about me, my church where I can come and worship and know that the Word of God will be preached without compromise, and where we reach out to those who are not as fortunate as we and offer them a helping hand. I’m thankful to be a part of a praying church where we still believe in miracles and therefore, we experience them. I’m thankful for pastors who do whatever is needed without questioning if it’s a part of their “job description” and those who take the time to study so they can teach and reach others here, and those who quietly and consistently serve the church without expecting or needing applause.
Let’s think about taking the time to reach out to our neighbors next door or those across the world and offer the gift of love and anything else God puts upon our hearts to give.
“Don’t it make ya feel good when ya take the time to do that”?