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Give Thanks
Brian Mashburn
November 28, 2010
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Giving Thanks
King David made a promise in one of the songs he wrote. He said, "O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever." (Ps 30:12). How about you?
I read a story this week about a man in Panama under circumstances too difficult for anyone reading this to imagine. He recounts being huddled in a grass hut with the family (a mom and 4 children) on a Wednesday evening trying to keep dry. The older sister informed him that all they had left to eat was the bread he had brought earlier that week. She gave him two pieces, and divided the third piece between the mom and kids. The youngest, Abuelo, didn't eat because he'd been sick for a few days. Moved by their selflessness, the man ate half a piece and then divided the rest between the others.
As he held back tears, he saw the children huddled around a flashlight laughing with one another. No matter how little they had, they were grateful for it, and more importantly, for each other.
The man wrote: "Sadly, that was Abuelo's last night on earth. He died Thursday morning from a stomach flu. His last night could have been filled with sorrow and pity, but I like to think that the last memory he had on earth was the laughter of his brothers, sister, and mother."
In a bloated society like ours, where even our poorest citizens are often obese and some even throw away food, it is hard to remember to give appropriate thanks to God.
This morning, let's try. Let's put away our entitlement mentality, and thank God. For everything, but especially for each other. And like David, let's thank Him forever.