We watched several clips Sunday morning from the movie “One Life.” It tells the story of Nicholas Winton, a British man who helped 669 Jewish refugee children escape the German invasion of Czechoslovakia just before World War II. These children had no way of saving themselves; they needed an intercessor to make a way for them. Nicholas Winton provided that way.
Winton organized a campaign to identify these children, raise necessary funds, and find foster families in England to care for them. Each scene in the movie provoked great empathy, but the last scene touched me the most.
Some fifty years after the war, Winton was invited to appear on a BBC television show. Although the host portrayed him as a hero, he blamed himself for being unable to save more children. There was always one more who needed saving.
At the end of the show, the host asked the audience if anyone felt they owed their life to Nicholas Winton. Soon, everyone in the audience stood to their feet. As I watched them rise, I wondered how many remarkable accomplishments they had achieved because they had been saved. What would have been left undone had they not survived? Did they understand the sacrifice that had been made for them? Were they diligent in passing on the love and mercy they had received, and had their gratitude blossomed into thanksgiving?
Gratitude is what we feel, but thanksgiving is what we do. When Jesus stood on the mountaintop to preach His most famous sermon, He began with a rudimentary first step. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) Until we become like refugee children, realizing we can’t escape the power, presence, or penalty of captivity on our own, we will never know freedom. Being captive to sin removes our hope of being rescued. But thanks be to God for organizing a campaign to provide a way of escape. “Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!” (Romans 5:8TPT) We must first sincerely feel gratitude to express our thanks adequately.
Accepting Jesus’ saving hand opens our door to a new kingdom. That’s not merely a promise of things to come; it’s citizenship in the here and now. Our redeemed life provides us with indescribable blessings. The most valuable ones are living in God’s presence as He showers us with His love, and Jesus drenches us in His grace while His Spirit guides our steps.
It would be hard for me to believe that one of Winton’s children could live a self-centered life knowing the horrors they escaped. When God’s children realize they have escaped the kingdom of the evil one, humble gratitude should exude abundant thanksgiving.
This Thanksgiving season is an excellent time to stock up on gratitude. We have much to be grateful for. The audience of your life needs to hear your reasons for being grateful. If you owe your life to Jesus, share your stories. God always has room for one more at His table.
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
(Colossians 2:6-7 NLT)
