Elevator Grateful

I hurried down the corridor heading for the elevator. As I reached a swing door first I noticed behind me somebody following me. So I held the swing door open so that it doesn't shut in the other person's face. It was a woman; she followed me and went through the door, followed by another woman then a man and then two men. I stood there like a doorkeeper.

Eventually, as I let the swing door go shut again I heard the ping from the elevator indicating that it had gone. I looked at my watch impatiently and I waited for the elevator to come back again. Another woman joined me and we waited for a few minutes. As the elevator doors slid open I stepped back a little and let her go through first. She walked in, I followed her and the elevator went down.

Later that day, I don't know why, but I thought about the nine lepers who went away without saying thank you to Jesus for healing them. I don't think they were bad people. I don't think they were evil people. I don't think they were ungrateful people; but with the excitement of the situation that they were suddenly healed, they were so pleased, they were so happy and so overjoyed that they ran to their families to show them that they are now clean again. That they don't have to be away from society, that they don't have to be shunned by people anymore, that they are lepers no more; and in their happiness and in their excitement they just forgot to say thank you.

You know how it is … the sudden excitement makes you forgetful. And I don't think those people who followed me down the corridor when I held the door open for them, or the woman who went in first into the elevator without saying thank you or smiling … I don't think any of them are nasty evil people. They are just busy with their lives and they just got on with their lives … they just forgot to smile, nod or mumble thank you.

And let's face it; how many times am I as bad as them? How many times when I'm really worried about something or other and it turns out just fine do I forget to say thank you to Jesus for being beside me and for making sure everything worked out fine?

For all those times I forgot to be grateful … thank you Jesus.