Thankfulness Of The One

Ten men were walking on the road.
Unclean their desperate cry.
They had to stay so far away,
From others passing by.

The disease had made them all unclean.
Cut off and so alone.
Disfigured, scarred, and smelly.
The pain would make them moan.

Couldn’t go to temple.
Couldn’t be with friends.
Couldn’t go to market.
Would the suffering never end?

There they were upon the road.
Jesus they would see.
At a distance, they would yell,
Have pity on us, please.

Go, show yourselves to all the priests.
As they went, the ten were cleansed.
Nine would go along their way.
Not to be seen again.

But one…he noticed he was clean.
It stopped him in his tracks.
Praising God, at Jesus’ feet.
Only one came back.

Were not all ten cleansed? Jesus asked.
Where are the other nine?
Where, indeed…the one confused.
Master, look…I’m fine!

Go on your way…Jesus would say.
Your faith has made you well.
Your faith has healed and saved you.
Let others know…go tell!

Were the other nine too busy?
Were the other nine so sure?
They thought they were entitled.
Their motives less than pure.

Only one was humble.
Only one knew this was grace.
Only one came back to thank Him.
Looking right at Jesus’ face.

How he touched the Savior’s heart.
The one…but not the nine.
The faith that healed and saved him.
Now the man would hear…You’re mine!

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How often are we like the nine?
How often do we go about our days with a feeling of entitlement?
Look at how I serve You…look at what I do.
Without actually saying it…we have the feeling of…You owe me!

We are like the other nine much more than we are like the one!

A friend posted something on Facebook that made me ponder all of this.
She was going to a class…running late…got all green lights…a close parking space…and money left in a parking meter with much more time than she needed.

She was thanking God for such undeserved blessings.
She did not see the circumstances as coincidences.
She saw all of those little unexpected joys as gifts from Him!

Do we have an attitude of gratitude?
Do we have a chorus of praise on playback in our minds?
Do we save our thanks for the big things…thinking the little things are insignificant?

We could learn so much from the one.
Are we so busy that we do not take the time to stop and thank Him?
Do we go out of out way…even back track if we have to…just to praise Him?
Do we recognize our blessings…our unexpected joys…as coming right from His hand?

Gratitude.
Thanksgiving.
Praise.

It only takes a moment.
Yet, it is so vital to our faith.

Spend the day praising Him.
Spend the day thanking Him.
Spend the day acknowledging that all good gifts come from His hand.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4,5)