It's time to talk turkey.... ok, at least to tell the truth:

Are you using "common courtesy?"

You know: Please. Thank you. Excuse me.

It is the little common courtesies that grease the wheels of polite society. It is in the polite requests: Would you please pass the potatoes?  That we communicate respect and gentle kindnesses.

It is in the responses that recognize with appreciation that we are receiving something: Thank you! that makes us feel part of an exchange of words and thoughts acknowledging one another.

When we communicate with mutual respect, we are choosing to honor one another. We allow others to feel appreciated as we request and accept an exchange of materials things, ideas, or spiritual things like prayer & counseling,

When we are too arrogant, ignorant or entitled to express appreciation, gratitude or thankfulness, we become hard-hearted. That leads to selfishness and a breakdown in a family, church or other form of community. 

In Luke 17:11-19, we see Jesus, God in the flesh, heal 10 lepers. This community of sick people, both Jews and pagans, have been isolated for their sickness. They cannot attend religious services, or see their families, or have human contact or work. They are dead men walking.

Jesus comes by and hears them cry out for mercy.

Jesus gives them mercy and tells them to go see the priest, who is responsible for declaring them fit to return to society. As they go to see the priests, they are healed. HEALED! That means that their lives have been given back to them. They are resurrected from a kind of slow death. They are fully alive, again!

And yet....

One pagan returned to thank Jesus. A foreigner, Jesus called him.

One out of TEN!

Jesus says, "Weren't all 10 healed? Where are the other 9??"

Yup. Jesus/God cares that, having been given mercy, that they did not have hearts of gratitude to God for their blessings!

Are you like that? Are you less then joyfully grateful for what God has given to you? For what God has spared you?

If so.... today is a good day to change that stinking thinking attitude... into gratitude!!

Give thanks to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

Not just around a table full of blessings.... but every single day.

Maranatha, y'all. He is coming back!

Stay ready.

Happy Thanksgiving!