When I’m grateful for God’s generosity, joy engulfs me! I’m rich toward God and you!  Ortberg calls gratitude “the ability to experience life as a gift.”  Some of us go through tough times before we see life as a gift not an entitlement.

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    The Civil War story Shenandoah has as its main character the widowed father of a large family. Irritable & self-reliant, he prays before meals because before his wife died she made him promise to do so. He always prays this way:
    “Lord, we cleared this land, we plowed it, we planted it, we harvested the crops, and we fixed the food. We worked till we were dog-boned-tired. None of this would be here if it weren’t for us, but thank you anyway. Amen.”
    The horror of war tears apart his family. His sons fight on opposing sides; his daughter gives birth to a baby but dies in childbirth; one of his sons is killed before his eyes; his youngest son becomes a prisoner of war.
    Late in the war, the family gathers around the table for a meal. The father starts to pray, “Lord, we cleared this land, we plowed it…”  He chokes up & can’t go on. Suffering and loss have shattered his sense of self-sufficiency.
    Near the end of the story, when he’s in church, his youngest son comes limping in. The dad’s heart leaps for joy. Father and son stand together and sing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”
    The dad finally realizes he’s been looking at things wrong. His children are gifts. The seeds, the earth, the rain &  sun, the crops are gifts. His work is a gift.  Life itself is a gift. Now God gives him one more gift: gratitude!  

 Gratitude is experiencing life as a gift. Thankfulness triggers generosity, releasing us from the prison of self-preoccupation. It’s the gift God gives that lets us to enjoy all his other gifts: the way taste buds allow us to enjoy food.
    Ungrateful people spiral down like a damaged plane, & plunge into envy & complaint. They’re unthankful for what they have, always wanting more.

One day Jesus enters a village. Ten lepers see him and begin shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:11ff)
    Deeply moved, He tells them to leave to show themselves to the priests and they’ll be healed. As soon as they go, their maimed bodies begin to have feeling. Skin and flesh fill in areas that have been rubbed raw. Toes grow back, and fingers, and noses on their faces: right before their eyes! Raspy voices become resonant. Their eyes sparkle; they jump for joy. Then, nine of them run home to embrace loved ones they’ve not been permitted to touch for years!   
    The remaining one turns & hurries back to Jesus, shouting thanks!  He falls at Jesus’ feet weeping for joy. He can’t thank Jesus enough.
    “Weren’t ten healed?” Jesus asks, “Where are the other nine? Is this the only one to come back & give thanks?” Then Jesus says to the man himself, “Your faith has healed and saved you.”

Thankfulness triggers humility & generosity. Thanksgiving is an act of humility. I want to be like this leper: thinking & thanking. How about you, do you want be like the 1 in 10 to thank the Giver of all gifts for all you have?

Dr. James Dobson tells about the final months of his father’s life. One day they’re enjoying golf when his dad asks him about his marriage & family. Dr Dobson, consumed by his work, has little time for nurturing his marriage & children. His dad said to him: “I wish I could slow you down. The danger of great ambition is that you’ll work so hard you may one day wake up k find that the things you really wanted were the things you had all along.”

Let’s not wait until we feel thankful to give thanks.  There’s a fine line between giving thanks & beginning to feel thankful.
    The Bible says, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Let’s make sure the thing we most freely give is thanks!