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Let’s be Thankful People

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<Psalms 139:14>

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

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Let me tell you about a story that happened a long time ago in America.

There was a student named Spencer at Garrett-Theological Seminary.

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One night Spencer`s friend called him in a loud voice from outside his window.

“ At the Michigan Lake a large ferry hit on the rocks so it is sinking now.”

Michigan Lake was not that far from where they were.

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As soon as Spencer heard of that, he rushed to the lake.

The ship with 385 people on board, had hit a submerged rock and it was sinking.

All of the people were shouting to save themselves.

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 Spencer, who was a great swimmer since high school, jumped into the raging lake to save the dying people. And then he started to rescue them one by one.

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Spencer wouldn’t rest and with all his strength he kept saving people.

At last, he was able to save 16 people.

Spencer got exhausted and was lying on the ground.

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Just at that time, the people shouted, "There is another person in the water."

When Spencer heard this, he ran back to the lake even though he was about to pass out of exhaustion.

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And he saved one more girl who was about to drown.

That day, like a miracle, Spencer saved 17 people from drowning.

However, 287 people died because of that incident.

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But unfortunately because he used so much energy in a short time to save the people he got sick. And his sickness didn’t get better but got worse as time passed by.

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A journalist heard that Spencer was dying of sickness so he went to see Spencer.

He asked Spencer. “That day you did a great work of saving 17 people,

how do you feel about it?”

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When Spencer heard this question he answered in a weak voice.

“That day, I saved 17 people. But among those 17 people, only one person said thank you. She was the last girl. She has been sending me a thanksgiving card at Christmas every year for these past 7 years.

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“Rather than those who don’t know how to appreciate, I want to be thanked by this young girl I saved.” So in the end except for the young girl that Spencer had saved, the others didn`t even say thank you to him.

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In the end he died after 7 years.

Spencer who had saved people with all his might got sick and died after 7 years.

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Today is the Barley Harvest Feast.

The day where the Israelites gave thanks to God for harvesting the first barley of the year.

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We should thank God for letting us study in a safe environment and protecting our health for the past 6 months.

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For the past 6 months we were allowed to breathe the air God gave us and maintain the health which also God gave us. And especially our God gave us new life to go to heaven and that`s why we can worship today and feel blessed.

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But even with all of these blessings, if we don’t appreciate them, we are the same as the 16 people who didn`t appreciate Spencer. Today, I hope that we will think about all of our blessings received by God and give thanks to God for all the things he had done for us.