“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
In 2009 the animated movie “Up” was released. It was a great movie that my kids loved, and it introduced the character Dug. Because the dogs wore a device around their necks, they could all talk. And thanks to Dug, a new term emerged to describe when we get off-topic or distracted. Dug is often distracted when he thinks he spots a squirrel, and consequently, he energetically shouts, SQUIRREL!, at every little movement or smell and then has to find his way back to the task at hand. This time of year lends itself to many “squirrel” moments throughout the day. At least for me, I know this is true. With the busyness of the holiday season, it can be challenging to focus on one thing. For this reason, a purposeful effort must be made daily to give thanks. If not, sadly, the days come and go, and they will be filled with “squirrel” moments, and we will forget to stop and utter a simple thank-you to God or others.
In Luke 17:11-19, the Bible tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with a group of ten lepers. The lepers did not come close to Jesus due to their disease but “stood afar off” and cried out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” He didn’t have to touch them or even speak over them. He ordered them to “Go, show yourselves to the priests,” and when they did, they were cleansed. All ten left to see the priests, but only one returned to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. It’s at this point that Luke points out that this man was a Samaritan. Because Luke brings this to our attention, we can only assume that the other nine were Jews. Then Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Of course, Jesus knew the answers to these questions, and if it were not Jesus talking, we could be tempted to put a little snarky tone to the questions. The Bible doesn’t tell us why the other nine did not return but does show us that God expects our gratitude and thanksgiving for his many blessings. With or without a tone that point can not be missed. The only man that returned to give thanks was a foreigner; because of his faith, he was physically and spiritually healed. Jesus replied to the Samaritan: “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” The word “well” used here is the same Greek word translated saved.
Let us strive to be like the one that returned—giving thanks to God and others for gifts of grace and favor in our lives, especially this Thanksgiving season. Squirrel moments will always be a part of our lives because this world is overflowing with distractions but let’s prayerfully ask God to help us focus on becoming the one who overflows with audible thanks and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for taking the time to read and ponder the Tuesday Tidbits. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit!
Today’s picture gives us a visual for the days when “squirrel” moments are too many to count, let Dug be our reminder to stop, focus and give thanks.