Thanksgiving (3)

Where Am I Thankful?

One of my favorite Christmas movies growing up was the The Grinch that stole Christmas. Not the Jim Carey or New animated one, while those are great, but I am talking about the original.

The most heart warming moments in the movie to me is not the part that everyone points to, where the grinchs heart grows to 10x its size but it is the part that leads to his heart growing. Every home in the neighborhood had been robed and no Christmas presents or hams or food or lights or anything was left. The grinch stole everything. But the people of Whoville get together and Cindy Lou Whos father tells them that they have all they need to be thankful for in each other. The gratitude starts in their home and eventually spread all the way to the town square where the whole city is grateful and singing together.

It is indeed a cartoon and not reality, I understand. If you wake up tomorrow and everything has been stolen, I do not expect you to lead a hymn in the culdesac but rather call the police and your insurance company.

But the principle remains the same. Sometimes its not about the things in which we are thankful for but it is where we find ourselves being thankful that impacts those around us.

Right? The Christian life is different. We arent called to just simply better oursleves, but to have an impact on those around us and to love our neighbor and look to those around us. Being thankful for everything is a great way to adjust your own gratitude, but How you are grateful (next week) and where you are thankful has an impact on those around you as well.

We are going to go back to a story we have covered before in Acts Chapter 16 and look at what PDG (Public Displays of Gratitude) can do and the affect they have on others.

The New International Version Chapter 16

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The New International Version Chapter 16

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

you dont know who is listening and who is watching

The New International Version Chapter 16

26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

The New International Version Chapter 16

35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”