Month: November 2024

Jesus asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give thanks to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go, your faith has made you well. Luke 17:17-19

The great American humorist, novelist, and travel writer, Mark Twain, once told a story about a note he had received. The note said, “Dear Mr. Twain, please send me your “best” word. Thank you. A $5.00 bill is enclosed.” Mark Twain sent back a one word response, “Thanks!”

This week as we celebrate Thanksgiving, that simple word, Thanks, will be the focus of the day, but isn’t it sad that it isn’t the focus of each day? There are so many things for which to give thanks, but three things stand out this year for me. First, we should give thanks because God is at work in our lives whether we realize it or not. Things happen which we can’t explain at the time, but later the reason is made clear, and we realize how thankful we are!

We are all familiar with the Pilgrims, the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, and the Indians; however, few of us know the history of a young Indian boy named Squanto and the way God used him to help the Englishmen.

In 1608, a group of Indian traders took the young Squanto and other Indians from the Wampangoag tribe prisioners, transported them to Spain, and sold them into slavery. Squanto was bought by a well meaning monk who treated him well and taught him the Christian faith. Ten years later, Squanto made his way back to Massachusetts only to find that an epidemic had wiped out his entire village. He couldn’t understand why God had allowed him to come home only to find his loved ones dead. A year later, he got his answer. A shipload of Englishmen arrived and settled on the very land where Squanto’s people had once lived!

The young man taught them how to fish, how to plant corn, how to trade for things they needed, and how to exist in this foreign land. The Pilgrims referred to him as a “special instrument sent from God for our good.” He stayed with them until he died. God’s work in Squanto’s life is remarkable and desrves thanks.

Next, we should give thanks for where we have been. Our past holds both good and bad, but every part of it deserves our thanks. During World War II, American soldiers consumned over 150 million pounds of Spam. They ate it for three meals a day, and began calling it “Ham that didn’t pass its physical.” I am sure, it was hard to say thanks for the Spam every day, but most chose to be grateful for something to eat. We can choose to look back on hard and bitter times with hard and bitter words, or we can choose to give thanks.

In our scripture, Jesus was walking on his way to Jerusalem when ten men who had leprosy met him. They called out for Him to have pity on them. Jesus did and cleansed them. Only one of them came back, threw himself at Jesus’ feet and gave Him thanks. Where were the other nine? Jesus could have been tempted to use hard or bitter words to describe them, but he avoided that temptaion, forgave them, and chose to bless the one who gave thanks.

Finally, we should give thanks for the battles along life’s way. Each of us fight battles whether it be physical, emotional, psychological, or so many others. I never will forget a young lady who battled cancer. When her hair began to fall out, she confessed that she could identify with the lepers in the Bible. After she went into remission and was healed, she said that she had begun to identify more with the leper who returned to offer his thanks to Jesus.

This Thanksgiving never forget to offer thanks to Jesus in all circumstances, and never lose sight of the gift Jesus gives us every day. Offer thanks to God for working in our lives, thanks for where we have been, and thanks for the battles along the way. The language of faith is thanks.

How can I say thanks for all the thiings You have done for me? Things so undeserved, yet You gave to prove Your love for me! The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee. My Tribute by Andrae Crouch

Have a blessed and happy Thanks giving!

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 Romans 5:5

In 1959, Frank Sinatra made the song High Hopes written by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen a big success. The song became popular because it had such a catchy tune and encouraging words. It was first seen and heard in the movie, A Hole In The Head with the child actor, Eddie Rodgers. The song illustrated the idea that with high hopes anything can be done. The first verse (and most of us know it) of the song goes like this: Next time you are found with your chin on the ground, There’s a lot to be learned, so look around. Just what makes that little old ant, think he can move a rubber tree plant; Anyone knows an ant, can’t, Move a rubber tree plant. But he had high hopes, he had high hopes, he had high apple pie in the sky hopes. So anytime you’re feelin’ low, stead of letting go, just remember that ant. Oops there goes another rubber tree plant.

Webster defines high hopes as a strong feeling that something good is going to happen or be true. Many of us know what it’s like to start out with high hopes in our lives. High Hopes for things such as our years in college, our quest for a successful career, our choice of a life mate, and the list goes on. Sometimes life, however; has other plans and we can be faced with discouragement, disappointment, frustration, and failure. This is the time when we need to focus on the possibilities rather than the problems.

I read a sad story lately about a honeymoon disaster. The newly weds arrived at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning with high hopes. They had reserved a large room with romantic amenities, but that is not what they found. Instead of a large room with a beautiful view and appointments, they found a tiny room with no view, no flowers, no champagne. The bathroom was tiny and cramped, and worst of all, there was no bed! The couple ended up opening up the sofa bed and sleeping on the lumpy mattress for sagging bed springs. It was not what they had hoped for.

The next morning a sore necked groom stormed downstairs and into the manager’s office where he vented his anger. After listening patiently for a few minutes, the clerk asked, “Did you open the door inside your room?” The groom admitted that he had not because he thought that door was a closet. He returned to their room, and opened the door. Inside was a huge room with a huge bed, a beautiful view, chocolates, champagne, fruit baskets, and amenitities which far exceeded his high hopes. He had overlooked the obvious, given up his high hopes, and missed the blessings.

The question must be asked, “Why did he give up on his high hopes? Why didn’t he try to find some good by opening all the doors and checking all the possibiities?” Sometimes this life is not what we had hoped, but instead of looking at the possibilities before us, we miss the great things because we give up on our high hopes.

Many of us have high hopes now that the election is over. We want to see all the things we have been promised brought to fruition, but we may or may not have all our hopes realized. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for because faith is the foundation that keeps our hope alive, and without it, our hope can not stand. Our problem as humans is not the absence or lack of hope, it is what we chose to put our hope in. Our hope to have the promises of the election or other things in life does not lie solely in people, but rather in our faith in God.

There is good news for Christians in that hope is not “high apple pie in the sky” because it is based not on fantasty, but on the Bible whose hope is based on reality and possibility. Real hope is what gives us the strength to persevere, to hang on, to keep moving forward even when people tell us that something can’t be done because we have the truth and the hope that Jesus offers.

Just like that little old ant, we as Christians have high hopes because Christ has never failed to keep His promises to anyone who trusts in Him.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God whose name I praise, in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:3-4

There are very few times in my life where something happened that was so gut wrenching that I literally thought, “You could hear a pin drop.” The first remembrance of an event of this nature was the day John Kenedy was shot in Dallas on November 22, 1963. I was sitting in 4th period English class when our principal came over the PA system in our school and announced the news. The usually talkative class became deathly silent as we tried to process the assasination. One could hear a pin drop.

The next remembrance was in the fall of 1968. I was working with my Grandmother at her shop in downtown Donalsonville when a black car pulled up outside. Two soldiers emerged and solemnly walked to the business next to ours. When they emerged they were supporting a friend of mine who was weeping uncontrollably. They had come to tell her that her young husband had been killed in Viet Nam. All activity ceased as we all bowed our heads in prayer. One could hear a pin drop.

On September 11, as I was walking the hall of Tritt Elementary to gather my class from lunch, a crowd was gathered around a television watching as a plane flew into the World Trade Center tower. Absolute horror was on everyone’s face. One could hear a pin drop.

Probably the most surreal pin drop moment was on December 1,1969 when college friends at UGA gathered together in front of the television to nervously listen as the draft lottery numbers were called by birth dates. The reactions when the numbers were called went from relief to absolute disbelief, fear, and horror. These guys were about to enter a war for their country for which they had no part in starting, yet they felt the allegiance to their country. Many of our friends went, and many of them gave their lives for this country. You could hear a pin drop that evening.

Today we honor our veterans of all wars. These men and women deserve not only honor and recognition, but also our heartfelt appreciation and thanks for the sacrifices that they made for this country and its people. Randy and I have been honored to know veterans of many of the wars, and it is always an honor to listen to their testament of the bravery and sacrifice of their respective units and friends. One could hear a pin drop as they speak.

It’s sad that many today probably have little or no idea of the courage and dedication that the veterans of these wars have displayed. We don’t know the trauma they endured and perhaps still do. We forget to thank them on a daily basis, and many of the younger generation is oblivious to what their service to this country cost them personally. We forget to remember. One can hear a pin drop.

The following story illustrates this lapse of thankfulness. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French cusoms, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on luggage. “You have been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. “Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.” The American said,, “The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.” “Impossible…Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France!” the customs officer replied. The American senior gave the Frenchman a hard look. Then, he quietly explained, “Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchman to show a passport to.” I can only imagine that you could have heard a pin drop.

Today we thank God for all of our veterans, and thank you for your service to this United States of America. As I think of our veterans, I recall the many military functions where Taps was played. Brigadere General David Alan Butterfield is credited for creating the melody for Taps in 1862. Butterfield then asked his brigade bugler, Oliver W. Norton to play the notes. It became a custom for the lone bugler to play Taps at the end of the military day to signal “lights out,” during patriotic memorial services, and for military funerals. The words are a fitting tribute for this Veteran’s Day.

Day is done. Gone the sun. From the hillls, From the lake, From the skies. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. Go to sleep, Peaceful sleep. May the soldier Or sailor, God keep. On the land, Or the deep, Safe in sleep. Love, good night, Must thou go, When the day and the night, Need you so? All is well. Speedeth all to their rest. Fades the light; And from afar; Goeth day, And the stars Shineth bright. Fare Thee well, Day is gone, Night is on. Thanks and praise, For our days. ‘Neath the sun, Neath the stars, Neath the sky. As we go, This we know, God is nigh.

God bless our veterans!

You are blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom; when you make friends with Madame Insight. She is worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary. Proverbs 3:13 The Message

Our parents married during World War II when the country was doing everything humanly possible to keep morale positive. During this time, our Mama sang in USO shows locally and developed a love for the music written during the 1940’s. She used countless songs written during this time to help impart some wisdom during our younger years.

One of the most effective was the song written by Johnny Mercer and sung by Bing Crosby entitled Accentuate the Positive. The first verse says: You’ve got to acent-tu-ate the postive, eli-lime-inate the negative, Latch on to the affirmative, Don’t mess with Mr. In Between. The song encouraged folks to learn from their mistakes instead of dwelling on them, leave negative thoughts behind, and charge into the future to achieve their goals.

We live in a world that seems to either be struck by one disaster after another, burdened by political unrest, or experiencing the horrors of war. It is enough to make even the most positive among us give in to negative thoughts and fears. So, how do we remind ourselves to accentuate the positive?

I love the story of the little boy who went outside with a baseball and a bat, and said to himself, “I am the best hitter in the world.” He threw the ball up, swung at it, and missed. He picked the ball up again, straightened his hat, and said again, “I am the best hitter in the world.” He threw the ball up a second time, swung, and missed. The third time He became more determined than ever as he repeated, “I am the best hitter in the world” with even more assurance. He threw the ball up a third time, swung, and missed again. He laid the bat down, smiled real big and said, “What do you know? I’m the best pitcher in the world.” If we accentuate the postive, we can change a negative situation into a positive one.

This coming week our country will be divided on how we look at the results of the Presidential election. Some will be accentuating the positive while others will be dwelling on the “woe is me” negative thoughts. It is going to require an attitude adjustment for our country to emerge from this election and try to accentuate the positive no matter the outcome. If we make a conscious decision to be positive and meditate on that during the good times, then we will be prepared.

The reality is that we, as human beings, are fallible. Even the disciples had moments of negativity and lack of trust as they followed Jesus through His ministry. In Colossians Chapter 3, we learn to Set your mind on higher things and keep it set. The question is, “How do we set our minds on the higher things? I would suggest three ways to deal with the times in life when we feel a lack of positivity. First, realize our attitude has to undergo an adjustment. The stronger we lean toward doubt and negativity, the more we have to work on it. Prayer and trust are the ways we reach our goal.

Next, look for the positive, and we will find it. Mother Teresa required two things from people who worked with her in the Calcutta slums: a desire to work for others, and a positive attitude. Finally, look for positive people of faith and spend time with them. Once you pick them out, “draft” behind them like the racers do and let them help strengthen our faith and accentuate the positive things in this life.

Remember this week to strive for a conversation with others rather than a monologue. Mean things said nicely are still mean things. Put on a fresh new attitude every morning and remember, with a positive mind set nothing can pull us into the negative. The time we take to accentuate the positive will help us all to eliminate the negative.