For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. – Ephesians 1:15-16
We each have people in our lives who have helped to make us who we are today. They are mentors, role models, and teachers who have shown us how to operate in business, home life, and even our faith.
One such person for me was David Jones. I came to know David when I was a 7th grade student in Lawton, Oklahoma. David was my Sunday School teacher. He also was a volunteer sponsor for our Sunday night youth program. David was a veteran of the Army who worked a civil service job at Fort Sill. Although David worked many long hours at his job, he gave as much time as he could to help share his faith with our youth group. I learned much from David’s faithful witness.
Sadly, this past year, David passed away. While at his funeral, I had some time to give thanks for his faithfulness and his work in the church. After David retired from civil service, he became a pastor in the United Methodist Church. He served a few churches until he eventually began serving as a chaplain with a sheriff’s department. I could not help but think about how many people David had encountered in his many years of volunteer and professional ministry. He was truly a blessing to so many.
I had a chance to visit with David shortly before he went to be with our Lord. While we were speaking in the hospital, he expressed his gratitude to me for visiting. I assured him it was me who had much to be thankful for and that he was one of those people whom I was deeply grateful for to God. Before I left that night in the hospital room, we prayed, and I offered thanks to God for David.
I am thankful for David Jones and all that he did for me and for so many. I am thankful that I was able to share my gratitude with him and with God. Gratitude is something that is necessary to share. We were never intended to keep our gratitude to ourselves. We are to give appreciation away. There is no benefit to holding back on saying ‘thank you’ to those important people in our lives. When we express our gratitude, we bless those who hear our appreciation while reminding ourselves that we truly have much to be thankful for.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
