" Come , you thankful people , come !"
By Dr Mike Townsend , TTR Chair of Trustees
Are we thankful people ? I ’ ve just been to a harvest thanksgiving service and I ' ve been reflecting on this Bible account .
Jesus met ten lepers who said , “ Jesus , Master , have mercy on us .” Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests , and said while they went , they would be healed . 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 . Jesus said , “ Weren ’ t ten lepers cleansed ; where are the other nine ?” ( Luke 17 ).
Only one leper came back to thank Jesus . Why ? Do you think the other lepers were not thankful ? They were probably so excited that they didn ’ t think .
When I was a boy , I loved buses . At Christmas my parents asked me what I would like . “ Please , a bus !” On Christmas morning beside my bed was an enormous toy bus . I was so pleased ! My birthday is in January . My parents asked , “ Mickey , what would you like for your birthday ?” I replied , “ A bus please !” They said , “ Mickey , we ’ ve already given you the best bus we could ever find .” But I was adamant .
On my birthday , at breakfast , there was a small parcel . Inside was a tiny bus – a matchbox toy . I was not impressed and was grumpy all morning .
Party-time : Surprise ! We went to the local bus depot . My birthday party was on an open-top double-decker bus . We had bus drivers and conductors playing games with us and giving us lovely food . My friends were impressed . At the end , I was ready to run home , happy ! My dad tapped me on the shoulder . “ Mickey ! Have you forgotten something ? How about saying ‘ thank you ’?” Little Mickey got up on the open-top deck of the bus and made a little speech of thanks .
The word “ thank ” comes from the same old-English root as the word “ think ”.
Recently many voices are saying that disabled people are miserable . Struggles of living with disabilities can get us down . A new government campaign “ Ask don ’ t assume ” https :// askdontassume . campaign . gov . uk / has generated angry outburst from many disabled people .
www . throughtheroof . org
Mike and grandson Rio , with his old Matchbox bus toy .
Jesus often asked disabled people what they wanted from him . However , many people are feeling free to “ ask ” disabled people anything ! “ How do you go to the loo ?” Very intrusive ! Oops ! The government has oversimplified the message . It is not bad advice in the right context . In TTR training , we also say “ Ask , don ’ t assume ”, but we make it clear we specifically mean “ Ask disabled people if they need anything in place to fully access church .”
I don ’ t mind talking to people about my disability . I ’ m glad that they talk ! Surveys have shown nearly 70 per cent of people find it hard to open a conversation with disabled people . They are frightened they might get things wrong . I praise God that , generally , God gives me the grace to be polite and cheerful – this is because of my deep gratitude to God for what he has given me in Jesus .
A church friend of mine called Martin struggles with mobility because of arthritis . At the harvest service , I asked him about his week . “ Ups and downs , but more ups !” Martin said . When Martin came back to church a year ago , he had felt miserable . “ It ’ s great there are more ups now ,” I said . He replied , “ Jesus has made me think about things differently .”
Jesus-thinking makes all the difference . We think , and so we thank .