THANKSGIVING BRIDGES THE GAP

During my service year, I came back from a speaking engagement and I knew I had to say thank you to a dear sister of mine. At that point, she was doing a series on Facebook titled “Purity Series”. She had a group of teachers write on different areas of purity.

At the speaking engagement, I was asked a question. The answer I provided came from her notes that I read online. I composed an appreciation note and included some “airtime” (I was not sure of her network).

Amazingly, I got a response from her appreciating me. She was at a point of wondering whether the notes blessed people. She was about to stop the series. I also got her telecommunication network correctly. She even sent her contact.

Today, she is a phenomenal voice in our generation and a blessing to nations. We are siblings in the kingdom. I have visited her home and she has been a blessing to our work many times and in many ways. I have had the privilege to bless lives through her calling also.

What if I was not grateful?

Do you remember the story of the ten lepers that Jesus healed? They all started far off. They could only scream and shout to get Jesus’s attention.

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
Luke 17:12‭-‬13 NKJV

They stood afar off. Did you see that? Well, From afar they got blessed.

So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
Luke 17:14 NKJV

They heard his voice. They got instructed and got healed. They were impacted from afar. They were blessed from a distance.

But one of the lepers when he discovered that he was healed did something different:

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,
Luke 17:15 NKJV

He returned and began to glorify God. He returned with thanksgiving. It was not a quiet “hmmm”, it was not a “wow” in his heart. He did not move on after reading a message that blessed him. When he saw the impact, he did not have to be asked to give feedback. He returned with a loud voice.

And what else happened?

“and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan”
Luke 17:16 NKJV

He fell down at the feet of Jesus. Ten of them started far off. Ten of them got healed. Only one made it to the feet of Jesus.

Only one got access.
Only one got close.
Only one bridged the gap.
What did he do? He gave thanks.

Thanksgiving bridged the gap. Thanksgiving brought him closer.

There are powerful relationships I have today because I returned to say “Thank You” for a teaching, a post online, or dropping a word of encouragement. They moved from being faces in the crowd to become a part of my family.

What will you be grateful for today?
Who do you have to say thank you to?
Will you be like the nine lepers who remained afar or the one who returned?

Appreciation not expressed to the recipient is not appreciation. It adds no value.

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa.