n-th degree Thanks
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n-th degree Thanks
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Riverside Church of Christ Bulletin--251107--The n-th degree" of "The Thank You" NoteTHE "N-th DEGREE"
"Dear God, thank you for mommy and daddy; for nana
and pops (listening grandparents); for my toys and my puppy and my new
kitty cat; for Woody and Spiderman and my marbles." [I don't have
any, I lost mine a long time ago.]. The prayer continues, "For the
flowers and the trees and the grass, and for daddy's new car and for my
swing. Let all the sick people get well. Help me to obey my daddy and
mommy. . ." Finally, daddy breaks in and reminds the
little tyke, "And your sister. . , and the food?" The
little lad hastily includes that and concludes by saying, "In Jesus
name, Amen." Then he lifts his face with a look of delight and "digs"
in. It is wise to teach children to talk to the one and only God of the
Universe, Deuteronomy 6:6-8. It is proper to teach them thankfulness and
thanksgiving. Politeness is a lost art in many places today. We need to
be taught to be polite to God, too. After all, what do we have that we
have not received from Him, 1 Corinthians 4:7 Thanksgiving leads to "thanks
living." It is hard to be bitter when you feel blessed. Resentment
or anger never flow from a heart overflowing with gratitude, do they?
Have you ever been so thankful that you were
absolutely speechless? Your gratitude overwhelmed you? Donna and I have
often had that "rush of joy and gladness" in working with you here at
Riverside. Your kindness to others and to us has been beyond belief. No
one who comes to the assembly worship is a stranger here. Hands of
greeting and hearts of inclusion reach out. Smiles brighten the
auditorium even when the regular sun is hiding behind one of those big,
dark clouds. The "buzz" before the formal worship starts tells the world
unashamedly that "these folks can't wait to see each other and visit
with each another." Even the folks who "don't know when to go home at
the end of the formal worship" tell the story of fabulous fellowship and
enduring friendship, Acts 2:42. You all are love personified, 1
Corinthians 13:4-8. You are "love in action." It is thrilling
to see an assembly of saints interacting with such obvious delight to be
together. All we can say is "Keep on keeping on!"
Have you ever seriously taken time to make a
list of your blessings? Of course, things like food, clothing and
shelter are often taken for granted, Matthew 6:25-34. Street people
don't have that. What about the shared blessings? What am
I talking about? Well, I have in mind: (1) living in a country with a
stable government; (2) having armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force,
Marines, Coast Guard, Law Enforcement officers, Border Guards, etc.) who
are prepared to lay their lives on the line for you and me; (3) having
state-of-the-art medical facilities and dedicated doctors and committed
nurses; (4) having power available to drive your vehicles and light up
your homes; (5) having pace-setting educational facilities; (6) having
wonderful cities with amenities that are the envy of the rest of the
world; (7) and, above all, having freedom of worship and expression.
"America, you are of all nations most blessed. No
wonder, you have a special day set aside for expressions of
thanksgiving. Families love it, if for no other reason, that they will
take time to be together and enjoy the bountiful harvest of your fruited
plains. May you continue to be civically the "big brother" of the world.
May God continue to shine His face upon you. You are in the forefront of
so many discoveries and inventions that have blessed the world. You have
unselfishly and generously shared your bounty with the undeserving
world. God bless you and may He ever deploy your gifts and talents to
make His world a better place for all."
If America is so super-great, can you image what
heaven will be like? Jesus laid down His life for us so we could have
all the applicable things above to the n-th degree. Now you can even
broaden your smile and have a song in your heart.
Love you all,
Al --"the Horne of Africa."
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