"Lest We Forget" - by Rev. Weldon Bares

An old story tells of a Persian king who rose from a poverty-stricken home to the glory of being king. When he was crowned king, he sent his servants to the old shack where he had grown up. He instructed them to collect every relic of those days.

They brought back fragments of his home, including an old worn shirt, a wooden bowl that he had used for eating, and broken toys. He placed all of these things in a special room of his palace. Every day, he spent an hour sitting among the memories of his humble past. He hung a plaque on the wall with three words: LEST I FORGET.

The great Christian writer and thinker C.S. Lewis pointed out that grateful people are emotionally healthy. Here wrote, “Praise almost seems to be inner health made audible.” (“Reflections on the Psalms”)

Saint Ambrose was a leader and bishop in the early church. He said, “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”

Thursday is Thanksgiving. May this day be more than food and football for us. May this be a day that we take a few moments to think about the good things in our life and where they came from.

Scripture declares, “Every good and perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

Let’s make this Thanksgiving a day of truly giving thanks to God. Lest we forget.