Do you show gratitude in your life? Do you give thanks in all things, the big and the small? I remember as a kid calling and/or sending a note to our friends and family when they gave us a gift to thank them. This wasn't an unusual thing to do and it wouldn't surprise anyone to hear it, but I can't tell you how little this happens these days. Too many kids these days don't practice gratitude. They don't understand being thankful and they don't understand how to show thanks.
I know, I sound like a crotchety old person, but I believe it's one of the things that has gone terribly wrong with society today. In this age of everyone wins and everyone gets a trophy, kids are use to getting it all! They are use to being given things and not having to work for them. They are not use to being told no, or even "not right now." Instead of being thankful for something, they have the attitude that they should have gotten it.
Don't get me wrong, adults have gotten terrible at being thankful and expressing their thanks too! When we don't practice an attitude of gratitude, we are allowing our hearts to harden and we are not setting an example for youth to follow.
In our Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) We see mercy, healing, love and thanksgiving!
Jesus is traveling between Samaria and Galilee. During his travels he came across 10 lepers who called out to him asking for Mercy. Jesus sends them away to go see the priest and as they were leaving they were all healed. The one Samaritan in the group realized he was healed and went back to praising God and falling at Jesus feet to give thanks.
All the lepers had great faith and expected healing, but they didn't all give thanks for receiving that gift!
One of the Lepers returned to give thanks, nine did not. The only one who returned was the foreigner, the Samaritan.
We must have a grateful heart, we must be sure to pause and give thanks for everything in our life, all our blessings, not just the big.
Not only did just one return, but he was the one that was in conflict with the Jews. His people didn't get along with Jesus people. He saw and felt great love and compassion in the gift of his healing and he couldn't not contain himself. He showed this by praising God and bowing down at Jesus feet. This gift touched him in a deeper way than the others, but shouldn't they have been more grateful? Shouldn't they have paused to worship God and give thanks to Jesus for the miraculous gift they received?
Let us not get out of the practice of showing gratitude. Let us not take any gifts or gestures in love for granted. Through our posture of gratitude we can receive mercy, compassion and love and we are able to return that love!
No comments:
Post a Comment