From the pen of Dr. Sam Jones 

Be thankful! Are you a thankful or an appreciative person? How often do you thank people for their acts of kindness? How often do you do something for someone else because you have been blessed?

Next month, most Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving. The day of Thanksgiving, in America, started in celebration of the survival of the Pilgrims in their second year in the New World, as well as an abundant harvest that they had reaped with the assistance of the Indians. But this is not, according to historical records, the first Thanksgiving in the New World. The first one took place some 11 years earlier. During the winter of 1610 in Jamestown the group of 409 settlers was reduced to 60. The survivors prayed for help, without knowing when or how it might come. Help did arrive in the form of a ship filled with food and supplies from England, and a prayer meeting was held to give thanks to God. They realized in their great misery and despair that they had much to be thankful.

In Luke 17, the author tells us of Jesus healing 10 lepers. A man named Charles Brown has given the following explanation as to why 9 never returned to give thanks. His explanations are not true but are humorous and reveal something about people.

· One waited to see if the cure was real.

· One waited to see if it would last.

· One said he would see Jesus later.

· One decided that he had never had leprosy.

· One said he would have gotten well anyway.

· One gave the glory to the priests.

· One said, “O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything.”

· One said, “Any rabbi could have done it.”

· One said, “I was already much improved.”

· And then there was one who returned to give Jesus thanks.

How often do you give God thanks? Students, when was the last time you sent a “thanks” to your parents? Husbands, when was the last time you said, “thanks” to your wives? Thank you for taking the time to read this Spiritual Moment. My challenge for you today is to take the time to express to others “thanks” for their acts of kindness, especially God. Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Be thankful!