Life Lessons from Lepers

                                                                                                              (courtesy of mochadad.com)

I know the importance of giving.

So, I'm going to GIVE one of the greatest tips I know.

It is especially helpful on days I decide to apply it.

BE THANKFUL!

I keep reading how important it is to GIVE good content to your readers and not make the blog all about you.

Sometimes, it may come off as, "all about me," because I am most comfortable with just telling stories.

I have a hard time "shoulding" people.

Well, unless we are related or I was married to you once.

It's much easier for me to illustrate life points through stories of personal failures and successes.

Then I don't feel like I'm pointing fingers and saying, "You should do this. You should not do that."

One thing I know, I know for sure....be thankful.

Want to know God's will for your life?

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess 5:18

I love that!

A few weeks ago, I was reading to some kids at Samm's Ministries and it occurred to me how much they were sort of like little lepers. 

Except...their thankfulness ratios were much, much higher!

I think there were about 25-30 kids in attendance to make pretty pigs crafts and then listen to my story, "Pig's Big Adventure".

About 5 or so of them, came back to say, "Thanks!" before they left.

And man did that curl my tail!

"Ooohhh! You are so totally going places with manners like that!" I squealed.

And their faces lit up.

Just like the bible man that came back to give thanks after he was miraculously healed. Have you heard the story?

There were 10 lepers that Jesus healed, but only one came back to give thanks.

One!

I can't imagine having terribly painful lesions and sores all over my whole body for years and years and not saying, "Thanks!" to the one who relieved me of the pain.

If a person had Leprosy, they were basically cast out from the general population.

The story is in Luke 17.

Jesus came across 10 lepers on his way to Jerusalem.

"He traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

What is peculiar is, if you had leprosy, and you thought you were healed, or in remission, then you had to go do a sort of show and tell, for the priests, so they could then give their permission to be populated back into society.

As they went...they were healed. As they went?

Obviously the guys had enough faith they were going to be healed, right?

Otherwise, wouldn't they have waited to go until they were, for sure, healed?

'Cause I don't know about you, but I'm thinking it would be really, really embarrassing to just show up and stand before some priests in fancy hats, with a bunch of pus and fistules saying, "Wait for it...wait for it...."

I'm sorry. I just got that visual in my head and I can't stop laughing.

"One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

I'd like to think I'd have been thankful enough to at least send a pretty Hallmark card!

Seriously though, for that kind of healing, I'd opt to make a special trip back, just so I could flash my new flesh before Jesus.

"Thank you!! Thank you! OMG! You are soooo the G! Look at me!Thank you! Thank you!"

One of the verses I've been really letting sink in lately is, "Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (click that link for sure) Then, you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6 

Tell somebody thank you today. Or send them a pretty card.