Today’s scripture: Luke 17:11-19 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Jeff Miner):
If you’ve been part of LifeJourney for a long while, you may remember that time years ago when famous Christian recording artist Ray Boltz sang a free concert at our church. Ray has long been a friend of our church. At the peak of his popularity in the 1980s and ’90s, he wrote and sang songs still shared today.
One of his most famous is “Thank You for Giving to the Lord.” It tells about a man who, in a dream, is transported to heaven and there sees a Sunday School teacher whose positive influence had reverberated through his life. The man cries out:
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.
I had a Sunday School teacher like that in my life — Merrill Jones. Mr. Jones lived a relatively obscure life — just a Sunday School teacher for kids ages 8 to 10 at Southport Baptist Church. But he told the great stories of the Bible with a flare and passion that was contagious. He is the person who first awakened me to the power of the Bible and spiritual life. I am a life that was changed because of the impact of one man.
I never got to tell him thank you. We moved away when I was a kid, and now he’s deceased. But someday in heaven…
Today’s Gospel story reminds us that everybody has somebody who’s changed our life in powerful, positive ways. Like the nine lepers in the Gospel story, it’s easy to just keep moving forward. Today’s story calls us to STOP, GO BACK, and EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE to that person before it’s too late.
So who are you thinking of right now? Maybe it’s time to write a simple note expressing your gratitude.
Thought for the day: Being thankful isn’t just about gratitude toward God; it’s also about gratitude toward the people who have most blessed us. Take a moment to listen to Ray’s song at the following link. Let it inspire you to reach out to someone who needs to hear how much he or she has meant to you.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.