Thanks For The Help

Say Thanks to Those Willing To Lend a Helping Hand in Trouble

Ed, my neighbor next door, tends to take bad circumstances, as well as, the good ones in a futile manner. One of his frequent sayings is, “Don’t be quick to say thanks for anything or anyone, as you never know how valuable or worthless they may turn out to be.” Life according to Ed is like a see-saw ride which always goes up and down endlessly. He says that the year your harvest is up to a bumper crop, it will be brought down by a give-away price per bushel when you go to sell your grain. He admits that there are lots of great things that happen in a person’s life, but also enough miserable events to cancel the good, so it is best to wait and see rather than waste your thanks.

The recent flood and evacuation of the nursing home here resulted in Ed and I having a lengthy discussion about thankfulness. Ed said that the flood proved it was both a waste of time to pray to God or say thank you to God. I replied that a thank you had to be said to the countless volunteers who were ready and willing to sandbag or help at the Credit Union Center. I was thankful that during the situation, so many folks worked tirelessly to the benefit everyone and that I was thankful for the good city we live in. I felt the folks at city hall acted in an excellent response to a natural disaster, and deserved our thanks as well. Ed was certain I will not be thankful for city hall when I have to pay my taxes. I told him that I would be thankful when I get my taxes paid as it means we have a home to live in rather than being homeless as too many folks are in our world. Ed challenged me that he doubted the homeless are thankful. I argued that perhaps they are more thankful for shelter from bad weather when they can find refuge than we might ever be in our comfortable homes. We may take our homes for granted instead with thankfulness. 

A devastating flood may displace people and destroy properties and crops, but it can help us to be thankful for the majority of the time, when we are flood free. Perhaps only, when highways are closed or washed away, do we remember how easily we can travel our highways without difficulty? Scripture says give thanks in all situations meaning give thanks in good, bad, and awful circumstances. It is God’s will for us to not be anxious about anything, but in everything let our requests be made to God. This thanking and praying to God may not lower the flood water or lesson the damage or dislocation, but it will give us the peace Christ to rule our hearts. Prayer and thanks to God confirm that we believe God is good and his steadfast love endures forever. We are to a large extent at the mercy of a flood. Many realize that a flood may be the reminder they need to honor God with thanks and prayer for his steadfast love which will flood our souls with peace.

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