At a national conference hosted by an American Christian women’s organization, several women
from an African village were sponsored to attend. They were bilingual, excited, and nervous. For
most of them, it was their first time on an airplane, their first visit to the United States, and their
first large conference.
The organizers paired each group of sponsored women with an American “big sister” to share a
hotel room and help them navigate the week. When one American woman met her two guests,
they exchanged warm greetings and began settling in for the multi-day conference.
As they unpacked, the American opened the closet and began hanging up her clothes. She
quickly became frustrated. “This closet is way too small,” she complained. “Where are we going
to put three women’s clothes? This is ridiculous. What are we going to do?” She went on like
this for some time. The two African women looked at each other quietly but said nothing. They
just listened and waited.
Finally, when the American stopped to breathe, one of the visitors gently opened her small
suitcase, took out a single dress, shook it out, and carefully laid it across a chair. Then she said
as she held her heart, “Thank you, Lord, for this chair that can hold my one dress.”
Only then did the American woman realize: each of her guests had brought just two dresses—
one they were wearing, and one they laid over the chair. Their plan was to wash one dress each
night and let it dry for the next day. That was all they had, yet they were overflowing with
gratitude—for the trip, for the room, even for a chair to hold a single dress.
In that moment, the American “big sister” felt deeply convicted. She had assumed she would be
the teacher on this trip. Instead, she found herself the student, learning a powerful lesson about
contentment, humility, and thankfulness from her sisters in Christ.
Scripture calls us to this kind of gratitude. Ephesians 5:20 says we are to be “…always giving
thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In Luke 17, ten lepers cried out to Jesus for mercy. As they went to show themselves to the
priests, they realized they had been healed. Yet only one—a Samaritan, a foreigner—returned to
thank Jesus. He fell at Jesus’ feet in gratitude. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are
the other nine?” Then He told the man, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well” (Luke
17:19).
Like those lepers, like those sponsored women, God has given us gifts we could never earn or
arrange on our own: life, breath, salvation, daily mercy, and grace for each step.
What do you have to thank God for today?
If you’re living your best life, thank Him.
If you’re moaning, “How long, Lord?” thank Him.
You are breathing. You woke up today. Your mind is working. You are still in God’s hand, and
Jesus is still Lord. You have more to be thankful for than you may realize.
Right now—out loud, or quietly in your heart—take a moment and say, “Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Just…thank you, Lord.” God truly does inhabit the praises—and the thankful
hearts—of His people.
