Being alive has become my main reason for gratitude. I have always been grateful to God for my life but having survived four episodes of pulmonary embolisms (PEs) when many do not survive, even one has given me a new meaning. I am very blessed to be able to testify that God has been my caretaker, and thanks to Him, I am alive. Every day I wake up happy to have one more day to enjoy the blessings each day brings. I thank God for the blessing to continue enjoying my daughters, husband, family, and friends. I am delighted to serve God and to be able to worship and praise His name, not only with words but with my life.
Being grateful is much more than just words. It is deciding to live each day thanking Him. Psalm 100:4-5 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise: praise him, bless his name.5 For the LORD is good; forever is his mercy, And the truth of it for all generations." Being thankful should be a part of our lives; we need to thank God for everything, not just the big blessings, but the little ones also. God wants us to be aware of His blessings and to express our thanks to Him and others.
Being thankful is a crucial part of our walk with Jesus. To say thank you is an important habit we should teach every child. Jesus gave us a great example when he told the story about the ten lepers. Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, pity us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesu's feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him; “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-19. Jesus gave these ten lepers healing, but He also gave them their lives back because lepers were forced to live outside the city. Even though Jesus healed ten men, only one man returned to say thank you. This one leper shows us how important it is to show gratitude to those who bless us.
When was the last time you said thanks to God for the things you have? When was the last time you tanked a co-worker or your boss? When was the last time you said thanks to your partner? This week, I invite you to reach out to those who have been good to you and let them know you value their lives and help. Give thanks to the people who blessed you in the past and to the ones that always have your back and are beside you. But most importantly, give thanks to God because He is the one who gave you all you have and the only one who loves you unconditionally.
