Whenever I think about thankfulness, at least two people come to mind, Ms. Harris and my Granny (my Dad’s Mom). When I had the opportunity to know these two women, they were single and deeply in love with Jesus. By human standards, they did not have much, but they were two of the most thankful people I’ve ever met.
Mr. Harris was my friend Ron’s Mom. She hadn’t had an easy life. She was homeless for a while, with two kids. Ron said, “We lived in a car for that time but always went to school clean.” By the time I knew Ms. Harris, she was living in an apartment complex. What I remember most were her genuine smile and contagious spirit.
Once, some individuals vandalized an outer wall where she was living with racial slurs and told her to leave in no uncertain terms. When others who lived in her complex saw what had happened, they went to work painting over the remarks and, in many ways, showed their support for her. I don’t know if this is true, but a story circulated that some men found out who had perpetrated this hateful and cowardly act and paid them a visit to ensure it didn’t happen again. Something can be said about community accountability, but I digress. All I know is that she never had any problems from that point on.
What I found utterly amazing is that she did not complain about what had happened. She didn’t cover up the tragedy of it all but praised God that through the incident, she was able to know how much she was loved by her neighbors. Her thankfulness was used by the Lord to guard her heart and mind and bless others.
Similarly, my Granny also had a tough life. My Grandfather ran out on the family, leaving her with six children to raise. She had no source of income. Yet, at some point in her life journey, she entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. By the time I knew her, she had been walking with Jesus for many years. She had few material possessions but shared them extravagantly. In fact, my family would bring her a gift, and the next time we visited, it would be gone. We would ask where it went, and she would say she ran into someone who really needed it and felt led by the Lord to give it away. Now that’s regifting at its best.
Both of these women of God have left a lasting impact on my life. When I was in High School, the whole WWJD (what would Jesus do) thing was the craze. For me, when I hit a rough time, I think about what Ms. Harris or Granny would do in this situation. After all, like Paul, both of them could proclaim, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). I know that they both exemplified 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” After all, Christians are to be marked by thanksgiving. They certainly were, and I desire to be too. Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone be the Glory)!