“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1
It’s a wonder that God can wonder. The one who sees all, knows all, is before all things – how could He possibly not know the answer, the reason, the explanation behind the question posed? And yet there was a time I believe Jesus truly wondered, “Weren’t ten men healed? Where are the other nine? Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” It appears even God can be shocked, stunned, dumbfounded in the face of ingratitude.
I like to think that I would have been the one to come back. How can I not be grateful for shelter from outside temperatures hovering in the teens, for sharing a meal with a stranger rather than eating alone, for a short holiday before the storm of assignments, assessments, and analysis that mark the last few weeks of the semester. It feels like the perfect time to pause, ponder and praise the One who is over all, through all, and in all things.
And so for a moment, I will spin around the circular definition that portrays thanks as an expression of gratitude and gratitude as the quality of being thankful. I’ve learned this spiral leads only to an acknowledgment that words are often inadequate to capture the depth, carry the passion, convey the wonder I wish to express, and yet words are all I have to offer.
