"One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him - and he was a Samaritan." Luke 17:15-16
Pumpkin pie with whipped cream, mashed potatoes and a lake of gravy, green bean casserole with those deep fried onions on top, and even olives on my pinky. I love a good thanksgiving meal. No joke, I would be ok and thankful for just being with my family and listening to one another. But I do enjoy a good fresh baked roll with melted butter with those other foods I just mentioned. Why, it's part of our tradition in the Hathorn family.
Today is called Thanksgiving, not thanks-taking, not forgetting, not thanks-thinking, and not even "I deserved it day." It is a day of giving thanks. Maybe you write things on a whiteboard or write them on 3X5 cards, make phone calls, sit around the table and share things, use the acronym T-H-A-N-K-S and think of things, or have some other method of giving thanks. Regardless of the method, today is about giving thanks.
This verse speaks about one man out of ten who was healed of leprosy. 90% of the guys who were healed never said thank you to the One who healed them. Certainly, this was a BIGGIE to be thankful for, not just something ordinary. It was easily noticed, and it was extremely memorable. This should have been a "No way to ever forget" to be thankful.
On September 11th, there was a guy who worked in the Twin Towers who was very upset about being stuck in a long line at the donut shop - where he was purchasing a cup of coffee for himself and donuts for his little department. He wasn't very thankful for the line, and not only was he late to work, but he remains alive today because he hadn't arrived at work when the plane hit the building. He is very grateful for the line.
Well on this day, I wanted to remind us of several not so memorable things to be thankful for: air, the wonder of the human body, our minds, emotions, smiles, cards, positive text messages, a humorous hello, the smell of sizzling bacon or fresh baked pie, the sense of being able to feel something and appreciate texture, the taste of a good just baked cookie, and the sight of colorful falling leaves. I encourage you today - be a person giving thanks, not just a person thinking thanks.
