THANKSGIVING

Lack of thanksgiving is a ‘bad dog’, according to Martin Luther:

“I’ve got three bad dogs: pride, unthankfulness and envy. Who gets bitten by these dogs has been sorely bitten.” –Martin Luther

(Here is the original: Ich habe drei bose Hunde: Stolz, Undankbarkeit, und Neid. Wen diese drei Hunde beissen, ist sehr uebel gebissen.}

We can even be thankful in bad circumstances. About four years ago I got mugged in Guatemala. I have no recollection whatsoever of having been thankful in any sense. But consider this:

Taking a ‘servant’ attitude of thankfulness in all of life’s circumstances will help you react as old Matthew Henry did when he was mugged. He wrote in his diary,

‘Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.’

I wonder if I could be that thankful. Could you?

–Billy Graham in _Unto the Hills_

(from David Rising, missionary)