Wroclow

We went to Wroclow on Sunday and it was a good day.

We got there on time and even a bit early. We were not allowed in because they were practicing or something so we waited by the door and this black man who spoke very good Popolsku started talking to Basia, she did not feel like talking but was backed into a corner (literally). He asked if she was new, how she heard about the church, who from, etc. To make a good long story short Basia met some men three years ago who helped her with her business plan. It was because of these men she visited the church. Igor was one and he is from Warsaw. Turns out he was visiting that weekend and the black man speaking Polish went inside and got Igor. It was a nice reunion and then Basia met the other guy, too.

We had been talking about visiting Warsaw and we will go this weekend and stay at Igor's flat! He will stay with his family. Very interesting God.

The sermon was very good, well, he really tried to get five different sermons into one and two or three of the five were good, the others needed more development. The part that is sticking with me is THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THANK YOU AND GRATEFULNESS. Thank you is for a specific moment for a specific event. (There was a translator at this church). Gratitude is remembering the specifics and continuing to remember them and to walk in that remembrance. Thank you gets its feelings hurt when the moment is past. Gratitude allows offenses to slide past remembering the moment of thank you.

STUNNING if you think about it. A grateful heart makes room for forgiveness and the release of offenses. A grateful heart sees a bigger picture. A grateful heart does not have room to hold offenses. It made me think of a friend of mine. Recently she asked me to do a favor for her. In her mind it was not a favor that I could refuse, but I refused and now our friendship is ended. She seems to have forgotten all the years of love and service myself and my family has poured into her and her mom. She is not remembering the sacrifices we made on her behalf or the love we showed her. It is very sad, but it is part of walking in thank you rather than gratitude.

As I contemplate this service, this message from the heart of God, I am becoming aware of the places where I have walked in thank you rather than in gratitude. OUCH! It is worth contemplation and then follow up with prayer.

Okay, so one of the other sermons was about the greatness surrounding us. This one, well, someday it will grow up into a good sermon but not this particular Sunday. But what he was trying to say was that EVERYONE has a touch of greatness in them and it would behoove us to SEE that greatness and appreciate it. That this particular grouping of people, this gathering of the body of Christ is magnificent and God ordained. (See Igor above.) It felt very much like a God moment and I was thankful and I hope, grateful, too.

We went shopping afterwards. We had great ice cream/sorbet. We went to the mall. Basia found a perfect dress and the saleswomen OFFERED to give her thirty percent off. This is the new collection dress and she did not ask for a discount- FAVOR! We stopped by to have Illy coffee and lunch but the food was not child matched and we ended up leaving, BUT the owner came and he and Basia connected.

His heart/dream is a coffee shop/shoe store! Basia has a dream for a coffee shop/makeup store. It was great talking to him and being encouraged. He shared freely and they exchanged numbers.

What else happened? I can't remember now, but every time we turned around there was FAVOR waiting for us. It was a good day.

OH! and there was a nest of storks with a momma and four babies!

It was a long but very good day. THANK YOU JESUS! TEACH ME TO WALK WITH A GRATEFUL HEART>