Thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation are usually relegated to Thanksgiving’s once-a-year holiday, and that’s cool, but I wonder how many of us miss a daily blessing because we need a little more awe for today’s gifts. One of my favorite commercials is the Geico one with the Camel on Hump Day – Wednesday. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to express that glee every day?
Luke 17:11-19 has Jesus healing 10 guys with leprosy, but only one goes back and said “Thanks!” Jesus’ response to the man’s gratitude was, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Well, which was it: His faith or his thankfulness that made him well? It strikes me today that the two go hand-in-hand. If you have faith, you’re thankful, and if you’re grateful, you have faith. There you go!
What are we going to do today? Are we going to glum around or let our camel-self “Whoop” it up with glee? What a difference it would make in our churches, offices, and world at large if we recognized our daily gifts from God and said, “Thanks!” Our faith would be evident and strengthened. Our witness would even outshine the Geico Camel! Our hump days wouldn’t be a day to get over in order to take us to what might be a better or worse weekend. With a thankful perspective every day becomes a Hump Day toward the Promised Land. With Jesus, every day we’re one day closer to the New Jerusalem!
So look for the good today and be thankful! It’s dependent on our perspectives. We can either droll around through the motions, or celebrate God’s possibilities. There’s a quote from Wayne Cordeiro’s book Doing Church as a Team that is spot-on: “Some of the greatest discoveries come from people readjusting their eyes to see what’s best about a situation rather than what’s worse. I heard a story about George De Mestral who was out walking his dog one afternoon. The dog got loose for a moment and ran through some tall grass. When he finally retrieved his wayward pet, the dog was covered with burrs tangled in his fur. When he arrived home, George could have cursed the dog while cutting the burrs out. Instead, he decided to take a cutting of the fur and view it under his microscope. Amazed at its gripping characteristics, he decided to study it even further. It was his curiosity and his willingness to see its potential that ultimately led him to the creation of Velcro!”
Amen! I want to be the leper that says “Thanks!” today. I want more than just physical healing. I want a faith/gratitude attitude that promotes emotional well-being, spiritual vitality, even happiness. I know too many people who are physically well and sick in soul. I’m going to be the camel today wherever I am and spread good cheer. I am going to look for God’s gifts and celebrate!
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