Maybe it was my being laid up after knee surgery or my wife caring for me when I got home. Anyway, it brought me to the place of thinking about life and some of the things that are important.
I realized that relationships are one of the most important things we have in life, but we tend to take them for granted. As my wife was working so hard to take care of me, I found myself being very thankful for her, and I told her I really appreciated all that she did for me.
I also began to rethink my relationship to others and especially my relationship to God, and I found that I fall short in thanking them or being thankful enough.
People like to be appreciated, and they like to hear a sincere 'thank you' every now and then.
Maybe our fast paced lifestyles or materialistic culture keeps us from thinking, evaluating and appreciating the important things of life.
Jesus took time to thank God the Father for many things, for instance, food.
Matthew 14:19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
All through the Bible we find people giving thanks to God, and we are told to do likewise.
Psalm 86:12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
Psalm 95:2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Yes, there will be many who will not give thanks ( Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.), but let’s be like the Samaritan leprous man who was healed and returned to thank Jesus but the other nine did not. (See Luke 17:11-19) See you in Church next Sunday.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!― Psalm 150:6