After church one Sunday a few years ago, my husband asked our five-year-old daughter what she learned in Sunday school. She said that she learned about Jesus and the cheetahs. The theologian in him was immediately curious because he was not familiar with that story in the Bible. He asked for more information and she told him the whole story. Then he listened closely to her lesson.
Jesus and the Cheetahs
Once upon a time, Jesus was walking down the road. There were ten cheetahs that came to him. They were sick. (In Sunday school she put dots all over our clothes with cotton balls and baby powder to look like cheetahs. It was fun.) Jesus made the cheetahs better, but only one cheetah said “Thank you.”
Eventually my husband got it…she was talking about Jesus and the Lepers not CHEETAHS! We always get a good belly laugh from her version of the story especially since I was her Sunday school teacher that day!!
There is also a lot to truth to her story. There are a lot of cheaters in this story. Nine to be exact. In Luke, we learn that Jesus encountered ten lepers on his way to Jerusalem who begged him for mercy and healing. He did exactly what they asked. They were healed and they had their lives back. They could return to society, their families, and their careers. He had given them all that they could dream of having and more. Out of the ten healed lepers, only one returned to thank him. Only one.
This Thanksgiving we have the opportunity to be the one that returned to give thanks. Think about all the people in your life that have made your life better this year. Be the one to thank them. People like your doctor who helped you stay healthy, your friend that remembered your birthday, your co-worker who helped you meet your deadline, or your neighbor who pulls your trash bins back to your fence after they are empty. Be the one to thank them. Think about the people you see each week at the grocery store, school, bank, gas station or in your neighborhood. Be the one to thank them. Recall how they helped you have a better day or a better life. Be the one to thank them.
Since Thanksgiving is on our minds, our family took a moment after dinner this week to make a list of all the people we want to thank. We signed cards and wrote notes together. We had fun talking about why we wanted to thank someone. What is a creative way your family can give thanks?
When we bow our heads and give thanks to God with our family on Thursday, we will also be giving thanks for all the people God sent us this year to make our lives better. If we don’t take time to pause and give thanks, aren’t we really only cheating ourselves?
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” Luke 17:15-19
Join us every Thursday as we explore practices that connect us with our Creator God. God’s greatest desire is to BE with us. Spiritual practices keep us in the flow of the Holy Spirit and God’s presence. We are thrilled you are here and @Practice with us. This simple moment can be a retreat from daily life and a space for you to BE with God in your every day activities.
Meredith and Steven Bell share many things in common and share many differences. They met 24 years ago in Dallas, Texas while studying theology. With each having a science degree already, they both decided a theology degree was the next right step. For the past 24 years, they have served communities in ministry together in a number of different ways. The relationships they have built along the way with friends, colleagues and churches is a blessing to their lives. The biggest blessing is being parents to two amazing young women. From diapers to driver’s licenses, they have parented, laughed, sacrificed, loved, prayed, cried, and grown together. Their differences simply make life interesting. Growing up in different states, listening to different music, enjoying different hobbies and just seeing the world around them differently keeps conversations lively! You can find Steven at First Methodist Church of Shreveport most days unless he is looking for waterfowl with his dog, Sam. You can find Meredith writing grants for non-profits and coaching people in ministry. More than anything, you can find the Bells living grateful lives. We are grateful to live in Shreveport and even more grateful to join with others to spread hope, love, and faith in the community!