Grateful - October 2004

‘We moved to England, our country was falling apart around us – we had to leave. It was so sad.’

So said a lovely lady who visited our office at Church recently. As I listened I realised the huge amount of pain she was in, and also the huge gap between her experience and my own. I take so much for granted.

Think about yourself for a second. Do you take things for granted? Maybe you’re not sure. Ok, have a think about all the things you love and appreciate about life, and then start to think about them not being there. Maybe you’ll start with the simple things; chips, TV, the Playstation. But then think of the big things; imagine not having freedom from war, danger and poverty. Imagine not having your friends or your family. In fact, think of the most important things in your life, the things you’d hate most of all to be taken away, and I bet the top ones are not things, but are people or freedoms.

Think about all the things you love about life and all the things you enjoy and ask yourself, ‘What do you have that you haven’t been given?’

I’m pretty certain the answer is nothing. Everything that is on my list that I love about life ultimately came from God. To see all that I have is to see all that God has given me. And I’m left with a heart full of gratitude to God.

As a Christian I know God is gracious, compassionate and a loving Father who likes to give. All good things come from him. Gratitude is the hearts memory. We haven’t just been ‘lucky’. God creates and gives. And we enjoy what we receive. It is only with gratitude that we become rich, for we start to appreciate and not take for granted the vast amount of things God has given each one of us.

Imagine living in Iraq, or Northern Korea. In a world where so many people are not enjoying all that we’re grateful for, what should we as Jesus-followers do? Firstly, we stay grateful. Then, we aim to be like Jesus with the Holy Spirit’s help – we sacrifice ourselves, we give things away, we live simply, we love others, we show forgiveness, we bring healing, we work hard for justice. I’m sure these things would help our world more than bombs being dropped.