Thanksgiving in Lent
People in the early twenty-first century seem to struggle
to be thankful. One moving story on this topic concerns a seminary student
in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. On September
8, 1860, a ship called the Lady Elgin went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan
near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters
to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently
damaged. Some years later he died in California at the age of 81.
In a newspaper notice of his death, it was said that not one of the people
he rescued ever thanked him.
Lent is a season in which we are reminded of our creatureliness,
our frailty, and our dependence. One of the clearest ways we may express
this is to seek to give thanks in all circumstances (Philippians 4:6).
I am sure this Lent you can find much for which to give thanks:
the gift of life, the gift of faith, the joy of friends and family, all those
serving in the mission field extending the reach of the gospel around the
world, and so much else. I also invite you to take a moment during these
forty days to write a note of thanksgiving to someone who really made a difference
in your life: possibly a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a minister or a parent.
You might even write to the parish secretary, the sexton, or the music minister
in the parish where you worship; they work very hard behind the scenes.
