“Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Luke 17:17–18
“Gratitude recognizes that a gift has been given; someone has done a favor. There is a gift and a giver. But there is more. Gratitude also calls for a response to that gift. We thank the giver with an expression of appreciation—a handshake, a hug, a note. A gesture of gratitude completes the exchange, closes the circle, lets the love flow back to the giver.”
— Don Postema, Space for God.
This quote led to an “ah-ha” moment for me. There have been gifts that I gave in the past that gave back to me a sense of emptiness. In part it was because I never heard back if the gift was appreciated or not. Nothing. Crickets. The circle was not completed—I never felt love flow back from the recipient of my gift.
But there have also been times that I have not taken the time to thank the giver of a gift for me, especially God.
Giving thanks to God is harder than we like to admit. Augustine wrote that sin makes each of us naturally “curved inward” or self-absorbed and viciously self-seeking. As a result, we tend to ignore God’s goodness and compassion.
We should celebrate everything that God has given us, but especially for the life of His son, Jesus. In Christ, we find it possible to be genuinely thankful. In thankfulness, I want to “complete the circle.” In the power of His Spirit, I find great joy in expressing my gratitude back to Him and to the world.
A hug is a gift to both.
Try to tell someone this week that you are thankful, and perhaps more importantly, try to tell them why.
Thanks for praying with us, by the way. I have found new church work in South Florida to be isolating and often lonely. Knowing of your prayers is a real encouragement to the church and to me.