Thankfulness is Almost a Lost Art

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all."    Romans 1:8a

In 1860 the  Lady Elgin  was rammed by the  Augusta  and sank in Lake Michigan near Evanston, Illinois. A ministerial student named Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later, at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him.

A few days ago, I was checking out at Wal-Mart, and as the cashier handed me the receipt, I thanked her. She made no response back, and I left the store thinking, "What's wrong with this picture? Shouldn't she be thanking me?"

We are living in a society where  thankfulness  is fast becoming a lost art. Over the last two years, many people in this country have made it clear that they have no appreciation for our law enforcement, the United States military, or the many lives lost while ensuring our safety and preserving our freedom. The same people have chosen to ignore the fact that America's blessings and prosperity have come from the hand of our Creator, Jehovah God.

In 1988, a Polish worker named Jan Grzebski was hit by a train. For the next nineteen years, he was in a coma. He awoke in 2007 to a whole new world. At the time of Grzebski's accident, Poland was a communist state. The meat had been rationed, and there were long lines at gas stations. But nineteen years later, Grzebski awoke to a free nation. He said, "There were people on the streets with cell phones, and there were so many goods in the shops it made my head spin. What amazes me is all these people who walk around with their mobile phones, and yet they never stop moaning."

These people had freedom, food, and wealth greater than Poland had had for decades, and yet Grzebski awoke from his coma to find that all they seemed to want to do was grumble. Sound familiar?

We live in the greatest nation on earth, yet so many are not thankful for that privilege. The America we see on the news bears little resemblance to the nation founded by Almighty God that I love and cherish.

Many people, including myself, cannot tell fourteen-carat gold from eighteen-carat. The jewelers of Goldsmith's Hall in London, England, wanted their customers to know what they were buying, so they devised a mark of quality. When a piece of gold was stamped with a little crown and the figure 18, everyone knew it was eighteen-carat, "The mark of the hall" guaranteed it.

Thankfulness should be a significant hallmark for Christians. We cannot allow it to become a lost art in the church.

In Apostle Paul's epistles, he always gave thanks to God for the churches, the believers he was writing. In this blog, I desire to thank God for my family and the body of Christ. I'm thankful for my husband and my children. They are my biggest cheerleaders. I'm thankful for my parents, Henry and Georgia Lipps, that took me to church and taught me about Jesus. I'm thankful for the love, support, wit, talent, and individuality of each of my eight siblings. We all loved each other, our parents, and we loved the Lord. I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, and my extended family of uncles, aunts, and cousins. There are too many for me to count. 

I thank God for my maternal grandmother, Clara Bowling, who lived to be one hundred and one and always made each of her many grandchildren feel as if they were her favorite.

I'm thankful for the many great men and women of God that I have had the privilege of knowing in my lifetime. When I was a very young, bashful girl, two pastor's wives, Alma Brigmon and Rhoda Webb, spoke words that profoundly affected my life. I thank God for both of them and their godly husbands.

I'm thankful for Bro. Fred Wynn and WMA. They have definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and given me opportunities to work for the Lord that I would never have had on my own.

I am so thankful for the pastors and congregations that God has blessed me to be a part of in my lifetime. My former pastors include Reverend Leonard Hacker, Reverend Bige Carnahan, Reverend Wayne Grace, and Reverend Tinsley Rector. They were all faithful, dedicated, godly men.

I am so thankful for my current pastor, Reverend Perry Fouts, and our Faith Trinity Pentecostal Church congregation. For thirty-six years, Bro. Perry has been a faithful, dedicated, loving shepherd over God's flock. Most of all, he still holds fast to the inerrant Word of God. I'm thankful to worship with a body of believers that love the Lord, love each other, and also have a hunger for the Word of God. I stand before the adult class on Sunday morning, knowing that they have open ears to hear and hearts that are prepared to receive the Word. And for that, I am thankful!

This summer, our church was hit hard by COVID. We lost an irreplaceable member - Reverend Steve Biddle. Bro. Steve was a minister in our church and a substitute teacher for me. Any time Steve was asked to preach or teach, he never refused. Steve was a man of many abilities and always willing to help anybody or anywhere he was needed. He always made a point to tell me he appreciated my teaching. Bro. Steve preached the Sunday morning service on his last Sunday with us. I am so glad I said to him that I appreciated his message. Steve was a dear friend and brother, and he is sorely missed in our congregation. My life has been enriched by knowing Steve Biddle, and for that, I am thankful.

I am thankful for everyone that takes the time to read these blogs and faithfully supports WMA. May God richly bless you and your families.

Most of all, I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ - Jehovah, Savior, Messiah. I am grateful that I am in  the called  of Jesus Christ and  beloved  of God. I consider it the highest honor and privilege to be a Christian. I am not ashamed of His gospel!

I could write for days and never be able to name all the people who have been a blessing in my life. I am thankful for every brother and sister in Christ around the world. I could never list the blessings God has bestowed upon me. Helen Keller said, "So much has been given to me that I have no time to ponder that which I don't have." That sums up my feelings; I couldn't have said it better!

Be Thankful for Life

    "Even though I clutch my blankets and groan when the alarm rings each morning, thank You, Lord, that I can hear. There are those who are deaf.

    Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morning light as long as possible, thank You, Lord, that I can see. There are many who are blind.

    Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the physical effort of rising, thank You, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedfast.

    Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, thank You, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

    Even though our table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank You, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

    Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous, thank You, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

    Thank You, Lord, for the gift of Life!" ~   Source: Unknown

Don't lose the art of thankfulness!

Happy Thanksgiving!