Gratitude

I try to be a courteous driver. I let people in when they are trying to get out onto the road. If a person has their directional on and wants to switch lanes in front of me, I let them. When merging with other cars I follow the "every other car" rule of merging. What ticks me off though is when people do not say thank you. Here I am doing something nice for them and they do not have the courtesy to say thanks. That's ridiculous. Even worse than not saying thanks is when the person just looks at you as if it was their right to be let in/ out or whatever!!

I have to ask myself though do I have to be thanked? Is my being kind to someone contingent on being thanked? I think of Jesus who cleansed ten lepers and only one came back. The Bible never says he "unhealed" the other nine that were ungrateful. The God who sends rain and sunshine and blesses even the wicked does not get thanked by the great majority of people. His love is not contingent on being thanked.

I am not God, but I am called to reflect God and be Christ-like. That means I have to love without any expectation of gratitude. Darn this following Jesus thing!! :)