thank you

Gratitude

Carol Purves Carol's Blog May 2, 2025April 24, 2025thank you

He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet.’ Luke 17:16 ‘Jesus Master, have mercy on us.; verse 13.They were ten desperate lepers, sick, lonely and ostracized. Skin rotting away, no care, segregation,, cut off from the rest of society. No wonder they banded together, no one else would mix with them.

They cried out to Jesus for pity, not really believing He could heal them, so when they examined their perfectly healed skin and those of their friends, they were overwhelmed. It seemed as if they only thought about getting to the priest to have their healing confirmed. Then next they would be sharing the good news with their families and friends. It was not on their to-do list to thank the Physician. Only one came back and fell on his face at the feet of Jesus.

Before we start to condemn the nine, let’s look at our own lives. God hasn’t only healed us, He’s given us everything we need, He’s filled our lives with joy, blessings , salvation and eternal life. In the Old Testament the patriarchs built stone pillars to commemorate special blessings to them as a permanent reminder of God’s goodness. We can’t do that today and we wonder how we can show appreciation for all God has done for us.

What about using Christina’s Rossetti’s words.

What can I give Him, poor as I am, if I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man, I would do my part, yet what I can, I give Him, give my heart.

Carol Purves Carol's Blog April 17, 2023April 10, 2023thank you, thankfulness

In the hurry and bustle of life its easy to forget to thank people. Do we remember to say thank you to the person who lets us through a door first, the girl at the checkout or the person who picks up something which we’ve dropped? A thank you goes a long way to improve a person’s day, especially if accompanied with a smile.

It seems it’s not the done thing now to thank someone who has given you a present. When I don’t even get an acknowledgement from a nephew or niece for presents they’ve received. I wonder if their thank you has got lost in the post, or if I should stop giving. I’m old enough to remember when it was different and sad enough to wish it was otherwise.

Does my own thanklessness stretch to even forgetting to thank God?. He has given us more than we can adequately give thanks for. As Isaac Watts said

‘Were the whole world of nature mine, that were a present far too small

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.’

Praise and Thanksgiving

Carol Purves Carol's Blog August 11, 2022August 3, 2022thank you

So often we are like the nine lepers who omitted to thank Jesus for their healing. We pray and ask God for various things and then forget to say thankyou. It might be excused as human nature but it is wrong.

To help my memory I have a ‘thank you book.’ In it I record each day thanks for many answered prayers. There are the daily things to give thanks for, like the sun, rain, a good night’s sleep. And then there are the miracles – healing for myself or a friend. safety in an accident. another soul saved for the Lord. The more I think about it, the more things there are to thank God for. As it is entered in a diary form I can go back and thank God all over again. The psalms are full of thanks and praise. May we be the same.