Give thanks now

[notice]A monthly column by farmer, preacher and writer  for Jesus, Angus Buchan[/notice]We need to be thankful. There are too many of us who are ungrateful for what we have. I always remember the story of a little boy who was always complaining that he never had shoes to wear, until one day, when he was walking down the street barefoot, he saw another little boy being pushed up the street in a wheelchair, because he had no feet.

We do not know how blessed we are. We need to start to thank God for the little things in life. For example; for sight, hearing, speech, for being able to work, for having a job. We need to thank God for a faithful wife, a hardworking husband and submissive children. We need to thank God for a country where we can worship Jesus Christ freely without being persecuted. When we sit down and start to count our blessings, we will be very quick to stop complaining and we will start to exercise gratitude.

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I remember when walking into a beautiful church one day, I noticed a huge sign on the wall highlighted with neon lights which stated, “Missionary work is gratitude for Calvary”. I remember thinking what a beautiful inscription. I have never forgotten it.

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Thanksgiving meal
Many years ago, my brother and I went to Scotland, back to our roots to see where our parents had come from and to meet our relatives. One night we were invited to one of our Uncle’s homes. A lovely home — my Uncle had done well for himself. He had prepared a delicious meal and the table was set beautifully. When we were about to sit down, I asked him who else he was expecting and if there were perhaps others he was having over, because of all the effort he had made. He replied saying that no-one else was coming, it was just for my brother and I. We were so grateful and said to him that we were almost strangers to him, yet he had made such a beautiful meal for us. Tears filled the old man’s eyes and he said in his broad accent, “Son, I am not actually doing this for you! I am doing it for your mother.” You see, when my mother was a young girl in Scotland, her mother passed away. Within months, her father’s sister also passed away. My mother was taken out of school to look after her siblings, as well as her cousins. One of them was my Uncle Robbie. She was like a mother to him, even though she was still a teenager. He had done so well, he had become a charted accountant and a very successful businessman. He loved my mother dearly, but my mother had since died and he felt that he never had the chance to show his gratitude to her for what she had done for him as a young boy. When we came along, this was just his way of saying thank you to my mother by the way in which he blessed her children, my brother and I.

Gratitude is wonderful, do not delay showing it. If you have an opportunity to say thank you to somebody, do not leave it for tomorrow. Pick up the phone and thank them after you have read this article. Everything we do, we are doing it as a form of gratitude for what Christ has done for us on the cross of Calvary. I would encourage you to be gracious to a stranger today, or a person in jail, somebody in hospital or old age home as a form of gratitude toward God, for what He has done for you. Remember Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 (KJV), “…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” That is the sole reason why I preach The Word of God. Start to learn to be thankful and I tell you what, your day will become a much brighter day and this world will become a much nicer place to live in.

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God bless
Angus Buchan