9/8/17: A Tragic Loss, and the Difference Between “Blessed” and “Thankful”
I’ve got mixed emotions on this Saturday morning; reflecting on what we experienced about 12 hours ago.
A candle lit memorial was on the corner of Sycamore and Northgate for a young woman we had gotten to know recently. I have her handwritten request for a tent in my notebook…
Her death wasn’t natural, and it wasn’t an accident. It rocked the community we serve so badly that when we showed up, the dozen or so tents in that area were completely abandoned: a spot that was usually full of activity had turned into a ghost town.
Slowly, some of our friends started to make their way from around the corner, and we fellowshipped, grieved, and prayed together.
We all felt the usual feelings of anger and sadness, but there was also a feeling of urgency. We need to pray, we need to connect, we need to help, and we need to do it all NOW.
My school has a theme this year of “Live on Purpose”, and it comes from Ephesians 5:15-16
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
May we all make the most of our time in these evil days, and do as much good as we can.
So hard to transition to “thankfulness”, but this was an important lesson:
Leonard* was the one who told me last week: “It’s not about YOU!”
This week, he came straight up to me and grabbed my hand with great intensity and told me, “I am so thankful for our conversation last time you were here. I’ve been carrying that talk with me for a whole week!”
When I shared this interaction with my friend and colleague, he said: “Well, I guess it IS about you now!”
And then he said: “I wonder when was the last time someone just listened to him.”
It’s so true. When I think about my life before this ministry, I did a lot of avoiding and ignoring people on the street. I would give occasionally, but never of my time.
“Serve the one that’s in front of you”: how would things change if we could grasp that concept and apply to our daily lives!
So, after Leonard thanked me for our talk, I returned the encouragement and told him, “I’m blessed to have met you, my friend.”
Suddenly, he got that look in his eye-the same look he gave me when he was yelling “It’s not about YOU!”
I braced for impact as he shook his head and said, “Don’t be blessed. Be thankful. Everyone’s blessed-everyone’s breathing and walking and talking and carrying on. We’re all blessed, but how many of us are thankful?”
Wow. Once again, I felt the Spirit of God all over our conversation. It’s wonderful to be blessed, and it’s important to recognize that we are blessed, but how many of us take the blessing for granted and never give thanks to the one who blesses us?
Blessing is from God to us.
Gratitude is from us to God.
Revising my statement, I responded to Leonard’s mini-sermon: “You’re right. Both are true: I’m blessed to be here, and I am grateful that I’ve met you.”