Be like number ten

Jesus, help me remember to say "thanks" for all I have! Amen.

As Jesus traveled, He met ten men who had a skin disease. "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" they called. Jesus told them, "Go see a priest" -- and as the men were leaving, they saw that they had been healed! One man went back to Jesus, shouting thanks to God. "Ten men were healed," Jesus said. "Where are the other nine?" Then He told the man, "Go, your faith has saved you."

There are kids who don't get enough to eat because their families can't afford lots of food. There are kids who shiver in drafty homes because turning up the heat is too expensive. There are kids who wear worn-out clothes because they have no money for new ones.

Some of those kids live in other countries. Some might be sitting next to you at school. You might even be one of those kids.

This week's Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) talks about people with problems -- and how important it is to be thankful for whatever we have.

In the story, Jesus cured ten men. Until they met Jesus, they were suffering and had to stay far away from people. But when He healed them, nine out of ten forgot to say, "Thank you!" Jesus wasn't too happy about that.

The Gospel story is really about remembering to be grateful for whatever you have. If a poor kid gets a big meal, he's probably very thankful; but if you never miss lunch, do you still remember to thank God for all the food you get to eat? If you have a closet full of clothes or just a few, do you remember to be grateful that someone made sure you had a warm sweater for the cold weather?

Whatever we get really comes from God because He inspires people to be good to each other. So when you get something, don't be like the nine men Jesus met; be like the tenth one, and thank God!