Today marks five weeks since one of my dear friends underwent a very serious esophageal surgery. Over the course of these five weeks, Mary Ellen has had some real ups and downs, and she remains in ICU. But for the last couple of days, the news has been positive and encouraging, and for that I am so very thankful.
I'm thankful for the community where I live. A community that came together last night - young and old, rich and poor, black and white - to honor fallen police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge. The Sheriff's Department in our county asked our church to host the event, and our pastor spoke. But it was not a First Baptist Spartanburg event. It was a Spartanburg event. It was a community coming together. It was a community saying we honor and respect and appreciate law enforcement officers and the rule of law. And I am so thankful.
We have had rain nearly every day for several days now. After weeks of near-drought conditions, this rain is very welcome indeed. And I am so thankful.
Last night I stayed up much later than normal. I was reading a very good book and couldn't put it down until I finished it. As a result, getting out of bed this morning was even more of a challenge than normal. This morning it would have been very easy to find an excuse not to walk. But I walked anyway!
These morning walks are a definite reason for thanksgiving. That I have a new knee and am able to walk is certainly a starting point for giving thanks! That physical therapy conditioned me to be able to do more than I had previously thought possible is another reason I'm thankful.
This morning I gave thanks for the beauty I saw as I walked. I stopped for a brief chat with one of my neighbors, and I gave thanks for my neighborhood and good neighbors, which is a special blessing after years of isolated living on the side of a mountain.
I don't always, but today I put my earbuds in and my I-pod in my pocket, and I enjoyed some wonderful music as I walked. As a result, this morning's walk was a wonderful time of worship. I even made it up Kellie Lane!
One of the last songs I listened to was the Gaither Vocal Band singing These Are They, a song based on this verse from the Book of Revelation:
"These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14 KJV)
As I listened to that song, and as I thought of the future that awaits all of us who belong to Jesus Christ, my heart overflowed with thankfulness. Thinking about that makes this a Thankful Tuesday indeed!
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe way all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4 KJV)
To watch the tribute to fallen officers, click here: http://livestream.com/fbcspartanburg/events/3447238/videos/130230476
To listen to the Gaither Vocal Band sing These Are They, click here: https://youtu.be/YuitgwHBIbQ
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