Devotions

Read Luke 17:11-19

Jesus asked,
"Were not all ten cleansed?
Where are the other nine?"

- Luke 17:17 (NIV)

MY mother stayed with us while she recovered from cancer surgery and received 25 radiation treatments. Beyond thanking God that her surgery went well, my prayers were focused on requests. Yet when I read the story about the ten lepers, I knew that Christ most wanted to hear me say, "Thank you."

"What do I have to be thankful for?" I asked myself. I challenged myself to think of 10 things from the previous day. It took some thought, but I started with thanksgiving for safety in travel on snowy roads to and from the hospital. Then I remembered the phone call mother had received from a friend back home, an encouraging e-mail from one of my friends, the energy to shop for groceries, the money to buy the groceries, a pot-roast supper that smelled and tasted good to all of us, my husband's offer to help with the dishes, the sunshine, mother's optimistic attitude about the radiation treatments, and a warm house. Amazing! I had come up with 10 reasons to be thankful. It felt good, really good.

I have made this a daily practice. Some days it's easy to think of 10 things; some days it's not. Now when something positive happens, I often think, That's going to be a thank-you tomorrow. In turn, that has caused me to say, "Thank you, Lord" at that moment.

Thought for the Day -- What 10 blessings from yesterday can I thank God for today?