Have you ever had one of those mundane, ordinary days when everything is slow and predictable, and then, wham, something hits you out of nowhere?

I was going about my day, on schedule with my to-do’s and appointments, when I get a phone call from the nurse at my kids’ school.

Every parent knows that’s a call they really don’t want in the middle of the day.

Turns out, my son had twisted his ankle playing basketball and the school nurse thought his leg may be fractured.

My schedule got booted out the window as I made my way across town to school to pick him up.

Thanks to a certifiably overactive imagination and annoyingly heavy traffic which made for a 45-minute drive, I conjured up every possible worst-case scenario. I even made a mental list of what I should carry in our hospital bags in case he needed surgery to fix a broken bone. (Any other moms out there who are hyper “creative” when it comes to their kids’ medical issues?)

Along with the worrying, I also prayed. It was one of those, “Lord, please let there be no broken bones,” prayers one second, followed by “I should Google the best orthopedic surgeons in the city,” type back-and-forth situations. I sometimes volleyed the ball into God’s court and, at other times, I held tight to it.

But God was gracious in answering my super distracted and somewhat anemic prayers. Our basketball-loving son will have to stay off the court for a while, but he is okay. For the next three weeks, he’ll be in a cast and hobbling about on a crutch. But no major injuries or broken bones.

Of course, I was super relieved when I heard the doctor’s assessment. But can I admit something? As soon as we got the prognosis, I jumped right into buying medicines the doctor had prescribed, figuring out how to manage my daughter’s transport from her music class, Googling where to buy a shoe that would fit over a cast, canceling our dinner plans for the evening… You know what I didn’t jump right into? I didn’t quiet myself and pause to simply thank God for His goodness.

It reminded me of the story in Luke 17 how Jesus healed the 10 lepers. They were all healed, and nine of them went on their merry way. Maybe they made plans to meet up with friends who had avoided them for years. Maybe they Googled “Best restaurants in Jerusalem,” because they hadn’t had the chance to walk into those places before. Maybe they went for a swim in the same river as “regular” people because finally they were not considered outcasts.

But we know what nine of them didn’t do. They didn’t turn back to go and thank Jesus.

But there was one guy who knew that every blessing came from God. Luke 17 records that “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.”

He didn’t wait to express his thanks. Maybe he was so excited, so overwhelmed, so filled with gratitude, he just couldn’t wait. I can picture the scene: he was likely dressed in old, tattered clothes, he was probably way too loud, socially awkward around crowds of Jews, his eyes brimming over with joyful tears. But what truly mattered was his heart of gratitude to Jesus.

I love that Luke mentions that he was a Samaritan. Someone that the Jews turned their noses up at was setting an example for them.

And thousands of years later, he sets an example for us.

May we, like the healed Samaritan leper, pause amid everything else that is going on to simply praise God. In the story, we see that Jesus was saddened that the other guys didn’t come by to express their gratitude. I don’t believe God needs our thanksgiving. If we don’t praise Him, the rocks will cry out in adoration (Luke 19: 39-40). But I do believe that it’s in a heart posture of praise that we find our fulfillment.

Culture emphasizes gratitude as being an important ingredient in life. That’s a good thing. But it’s also an incomplete and inadequate way of life if we don’t know to Whom we are giving thanks. 

Jesus was pleased with the one man’s heart attitude. He said to him,  “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17)

Here’s the thing: the man was already well since, like the nine others, he had been physically healed. But when we acknowledge the Giver and not just the gift, God has the opportunity to do a deeper work in our lives, bringing spiritual wholeness and newness of life. It’s good to remember what we’re thankful for. It’s not just better—it’s  vital—to remember to Whom we’re thankful to. 

May we stop to give God thanks for every blessing He has poured into our lives. In praising God, we find our purpose. In a heart posture of adoring Him, we find healing. In saying “Thank you, Jesus” we hear His song of rejoicing over us.

 

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