Gratitude

Real thankfulness... it's never been in high supply. Shakespeare's King Lear says: "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child." In the Bible, we see 9 of 10 lepers healed who do not turn back to thank Christ but instead carry on their way... the one who is doubly outcast by leprosy and by heritage (being Samaritan) is the only one who thanks Jesus.

Why am I thinking about this? Well, you might surmise that as a parent of teenagers I've encountered my fair share of ingratitude. That's true! However, I recognize fully how blessed I am by my children and I want to express/and will in another post on another day how grateful I am to have had the privilege of raising of them thus far.

No, the reason for this blog... is to call myself out. I am very blessed and thankful to live in a place and time where I and others have the luxury of debating what are very small doctrinal issues (in the scope of things) in our faith. Should women be pastors? Should we ordain gay/lesbian/bi/transexuals? Enmeshing ourselves in such dialogue indicates that we are not concerned with: a) persecution, or b) simple survival.

So... thanks God. Thank you for allowing me to live out my faith in a place and time where I am safe, protected, and have what I need to live. Thank you for others of faith who have the same and for our disagreements. They enable us to grow as iron sharpens iron.