Give Thanks part 3
I didn't know I was going to go here, but the last couple of days I've been thinking about the difference in translations--and how its not really a "difference," as much as a different way of looking at it--between Jesus looking to heaven and BLESSING the food before distributing it (in the NLT), and "giving thanks" (in the KJV). And the somewhat obvious conclusion that I came to is that WHEN you give thanks you ARE blessing things. Blessing things that have already been blessed, if you can pick up what I'm laying down. Manifesting the fulness of what God has done. Because, well, let me say it like this: "But the voice spoke again: "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean"" (Acts 10:15 NLT). And, unfortunately, we do this all the time. Especially with ourselves and each other. Look at John 15:3, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." The Word, of course, being Jesus. Being love. Love is what has cleansed us. Washed all the dirt, and sin, and all of the things that we did when we believed the lie and thought we had to look for love in all the wrong places, away. And if that's not something to give thanks for, I don't know what is. If that's not something to give a little praise and worship for... But my thought for today is that instead of saying, "God bless you," and basically hoping something will happen, we ought to say, "God BLESSED you." Or, in an even better way, "I appreciate you." I'm thankful for you. That small little Word of affirmation might just bless someone's socks off. Isn't it true that people live longer if they don't retire early? Because they have a purpose. Something to work for, and something to work on. That sense of, "I'm doing something. I'm important," goes a long way. So if you let someone know that they are important... to you... that's one way to bless them. And, listen, Jesus gave thanks (blessed) food. I've always been a big proponent of the rather simple, "See and need and meet it" principle. If someone's stomach is growling, they probably won't be able to hear what you're saying. So if someone's hungry, feed them. Take care of the natural need, then you have a door opened to meet the Spiritual need. Jesus spoke quite a bit about feeding the poor. I always try to bring up the girl He raised from the dead... and then immediately fed. Its important. Can't live by bread alone, but definitely need bread also. So don't think I'm disregarding that aspect. I'm not. Its on my mind a lot. I'm like my grandpa; anytime we came to visit he would make sure we had full bellies. And Logan will tell you, I try to always make sure his gut is full of grub. But I think its also important to let people know that they matter. I think one of the coolest things in the world is when someone checks up on someone else. Because that means they were thinking about them. And a lot of the time we feel like we're in this thing called life by ourselves. So when someone thinks about me, and lets me know, it brightens my day. And then all of a sudden--because they were thankful for me--I have something to be thankful for. And around and around it goes like a Holy Ghost wildfire that consumes everything else and grows and grows and grows!