Praise Ye The Lord!

The gratitude that caused Eddie Rickenbacker to set aside time for more than 20 years to remember that event should be the kind of gratitude that every Christian proclaims. Almighty God has given us more than a gull. He has given us life, provisions for every need, & even His Son. This is why it is important for us to remember God's blessings.

And this morning I want to share 3 steps to becoming thankful citizens of God's Kingdom. These are practical steps we can put into practice every day.

I. WE MUST RECOGNIZE GOD'S HELP IN OUR LIFE

First of all, we will never become anything more than what we are until we recognize God's help in our life.

The situations you & I encounter will be similar in many ways, but how we respond to them can vary greatly. We can respond in a way that gives glory to God & serves as a reminder to others of God's blessings, or we can respond in a way that hurts others & robs God of His glory. Let me give you an example.

ILL. Two golfers stepped up to the 1st tee on the St. Andrews course in New York. The older golfer was a kindly man who played a thoughtful, deliberate game.

The younger golfer was full of pride & impatience. On the first hole he sliced, lost his ball in the tall grass, hit another one, & had a score of 8 instead of 4 or 5. And the next hole was even worse.

Frustrated, he began hollering at the caddy: "Keep your eyes peeled. I'm not here to do your job for you!" Thereafter, every bad shot was the caddy's fault!

At the end of 9 holes, the younger golfer was so upset that he discharged the caddy & carried his own bag. "That caddy made me nervous. He doesn't like me, & I blankety-blank sure don't like him! I say good riddance to him!"

After several more holes had been played without a word between the two golfers, the older golfer broke the silence: "Several years ago a little kid from Yonkers came here & became a caddy. He was a sweet-natured boy; quick-witted, willing, & had a nose for golf. Everybody liked him. His name was William; he had a clubfoot. But that didn't affect his caddying. It was a pleasure to go out with him."

"A famous doctor, a member of the club, became interested in William & took him South that winter & operated on his foot. When William returned, he went back to caddying. The doctor, however, had to give up golf shortly after that because of his health. And it wasn't long after that when he died.

"Months later I was playing a round with William carrying my bag. It was Spring, & the fields & hedges were alive with blossoms. William stopped several times to gather flowers until he had quite a bouquet.

'Who's the girl, William?' I asked. 'I haven't any girl, sir,' he said. 'They're for my friend, the doctor - twice a week I take flowers to his grave.'

"Now that's a caddie worth having," the younger golfer said. "What ever happened to him?" The older man paused & then replied, "For 9 holes he was carrying your bag."