Sacrifice Without Gratitude

I heard an amazing story that shocked me to the marrow. In this story, there was a blind girl who hated herself so much because of her blindness. The hatred extended to everyone, excluding her loving boyfriend. This boyfriend of hers was always there for her. One day, she passionately told her boyfriend, "If I could only see the world, I will marry you." It happens that a day came; someone donated a pair of eyes to the poor blind girl. At the end of the day when the bandages were removed, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

The boyfriend now asked her, "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. How unfortunate, little did she know that her current eyes was that of her boyfriend. With sorrow in his heart, her boyfriend left in tears, and days later wrote a note to her saying: "Take good care of your eyes, my dear; for before they were yours, they were mine."The sacrifice has been made but the gratitude was never there.

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. True love is practically displayed in giving and in sacrifice, which the girl's boyfriend explamified by his acts. On the sad note, the former poor blind girl did not even remembered that the now poor boy was there for her in the midst of her critical condition, not even to remember the promise she made. How sad! 

Interestingly, in the scripture, act of love is being demonstrated, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son Jesus, ...who came and died on the cross of Calvary in order to redeem mankind". Our heavenly father loved, he gave, and his giving was a sacrifice that caused the death of His son that later brought glory to Him. Love work hand-in-glove with giving and sacrifice. They can't be separated, and must be spiced with a heart of gratitude.

I have gone through this and so have you. How easy it is for people to forget. The sacrifices, the friendship, the love, and the moments of help you have extended, yet today, not only were they forgotten, the very people you have helped and loved have turned against you, hate you and even do their best to destroy you. Such is the state of the sinful heart. This is why Scriptures warn us against our own hearts, that the heart of men are desperately wicked and always bent towards plotting evil towards others.

Just think about this. God has always been good yet people refuse to accept Him and continue to live a life that defies His Will and His Ways. Many of us are ungrateful, and only by the grace and mercies of God are we delivered from ourselves. The moment one turns to Christ, God replaces the stony heart with a tender one and puts the indwelling Spirit and sets up residence in the life of the person. And this is the only way why and how people can truly change into a brand new life.

Do not be ungrateful
Today, before you say an unkind word
Think of someone who can't speak
Before you complain about the taste of your food
Think of someone who has nothing to eat
Before you complain about your husband or wife
Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion
Today, before you complain about life
Think of someone who died too early on this earth
Before you complain about your children
Think of someone who desires children but they're barren
Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep
Think of the people who are living in the streets
Before whining about the distance you drive
Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet
And when you are tired and complain about your job
Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another
Remember that not one of us is without sin
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down
Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around. And you can still put yourself in the loving mercies of the Savior
Today may just be your day

It is only by the mercies of GOD that we are not consumed. May we appreciate Him awesomely and return all glory to Him alone in midst of our circumstances.