The Dying Man - Part II

If you haven’t read part I of the Dying Man, it would be helpful if you did. The link is here:

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan…. Jesus said, “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:15-17)

The dying man lived. I know this because on the day of his heart attack, his son returned to tell me what had happened afterwards. In the subsequent months the son returned three or four times to talk with me and Linda about how his father was doing. We were able to pray with him.

I think the son came because he was trying to deal with a significant trauma, and the only people he could share his experience with was me, and to a lesser extent, Linda. We could share it together, because we had been through it together.

As his father recovered, and as the trauma wore off, the man stopped coming. But that Christmas one of my children was at home when he turned up out of the blue, and gave us two pheasants (for he was a game-keeper) and two bottles of fine wine. It wasn’t the cheap stuff that I normally buy either. Included was a Christmas card thanking us for keeping his family together.

I thought that was an incredibly thoughtful gesture. I never saved the dying man’s life in order to be given pheasant and wine. I saved it because I was the only one there, and if I hadn’t done it, a son of Adam would have died when he didn’t need to. I’m sure that had the situation been reversed, the dying man would have done the same for me.

But I appreciated the thankfulness of the son. And I learnt a lesson.

I want not to just be thankful, I want people to know that I appreciate all they’ve done - even if they were just doing their duty.

I do not want to be an ingrate.

I want to be grateful.

And that starts by saying thank you.

So thank you for taking the time to read my story. May the Lord bless you abundantly. Today may you be one of those who says to all those who serve you or help you, ‘thank you so much. You’re so very kind.’

Believe me, it makes a difference.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.
And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)