GIVING THANKS FOR PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES!
Friday of the Thirtieth week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
Paul tells the Philippians he gives thanks to God every time he thinks of them. Do we ever give thanks for any of the people in our lives?
Do we thank God for our children, our spouses, our parents; do we thank God for our brothers and sisters and friends? How about our teachers, or our parish priests and nuns? Or are we more often found criticizing them, if not in spoken words, at least in our minds? Are we more often than not praying to God to change them to the way we think they should be?
Oh, I am sure we pray for the happiness, the good health, and protection of the people in our lives. But do we really realize how fortunate we are to have them, and to give thanks to God for them?
If we would stop to really think about it, we would come to conclude how so very fortunate we are. We may not be rich in things, but if we have one close person in our lives, we are very rich indeed.
“I give thanks to God every time I think of you,” writes Paul to the Ephesians, “which is constantly, in every prayer I utter.” None of those people were perfect. But Paul saw good things in them and was grateful for it.
Do you see the good in the people around you? Then thank God, not only for the good in them, but because he has allowed you to have them in your life. I feel sure they are thanking God for you. Well, maybe not absolutely sure, but why not? Aren’t we all a gift from God to one another?
Thank God for all his gifts to you, especially the live ones.
