Monday, November 28, 2011

Multitude Monday, Take 227

One of Steve's cousins read a passage of Scripture and offered some brief thoughts before we prayed and ate our feast on Thanksgiving Day. He shared the story of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed, and pointed out these lines, adding emphasis on one significant word:

"Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks" (Luke 17:15-16).

You can imagine that all the lepers felt incredibly glad to be healed. Presumably they continued on toward the temple to offer sacrifices and even celebrate. But this one didn't just have a generic sort of gladness or gratitude. He ran back to Jesus and gave HIM thanks. And as a result, he was more than just physically healed--Jesus told him that his faith had "made him well"--had "saved" him.

I felt convicted as I thought about all this. Once you're in the habit, keeping a list of gifts is pretty easy. But there's a world of difference between a generic "counting your blessings," the world's brand of thankfulness, and a specific, personal thanks to God through Christ. Am I just thankful? Or am I thanking Him? Am I so absorbed with the gifts that I overlook the Giver?

Or to quote C.S. Lewis: "Gratitude exclaims, very properly, 'How good of God to give me this.' Adoration says, 'What must be the quality of that Being whose far-off and momentary coruscations [flashes of light; displays] are like this!' One's mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun." (Letters to Malcolm)

I'm counting and counting, and praying that God will give me grace to look back up the sunbeam, to thank HIM for gifts like...

2434. Christmas parades
2435. cozy fire on a cold night
2436. the fact that my boys get to know some of their great-grandparents
2437. the juxtaposition of beautiful wrinkles and smooth, baby-soft skin
2438. a glass-blowing demonstration

2439. meals with friends and cousins
2440. grandparents babysitting
2441. pashmina scarves
2442. huge bags of hand-me-down clothes for Elijah
2443. brothers discussing theology

2444. furniture from my grandmother's house
2445. Jude and Elijah pushing each other down the hall in Great-Grandma June's walker


2446. women bustling in the kitchen
2447. men talking and holding babies
2448. four generations eating, laughing, singing, loving the Lord

2449. Ohio weather in November surprisingly warm enough to play outside
2450. pumpkin desserts
2451. evening card games
2452. spiced cider
2453. my boys loving Great-Grandma's cranberries just like their dad and his dad

2454. cousins throwing rocks in the pond

2455. covered bridge
2456. Pops's pretty Christmas lights
2457. children's ibuprofen
2458. extra snuggles when Elijah is feeling sick

2459. first time this year listening through Behold the Lamb of God
2460. Andrew Peterson's brilliant storytelling, and the way it moves me to tears
2461. the Brilliant Storyteller he is echoing
2462. the old, old story of Jesus and His love


1 comment:

JRae said...

#2459 Amen to that! Love that CD.