Two boats and a helicopter

Matthew 11:16-24

           Yesterday on the way into church I met one of the parishioners and we walked in together exchanging pleasantries. How are you? I am good, good! Two goods? Yes. and you? I am am good, good also she said and I have much to be thankful for. I am blessed. So many people have things much worse and such troubles.

            I was thinking about that for quite a while on my own and again when I read this passage. I have gone through what some would consider rough times. The illness of both my parents and ultimate passing comes immediately to mind. I've often said it was the roughest 10 years of my life. But the kicker is, they were very graced years. Being present to those parents and the love and support all around made them much, much better.  It is no different now, in that life goes on and their are illnesses and problems all around. I see so much suffering. The point is, I do not see enough thankfulness and praising for all the good things in peoples lives.

             Some people are so focused on simply "me" and my problems that there is very little recognition of all the good that exists in their lives.  Life is going on and they miss so much that God offers because they are so into all the negative, the "woe is me" syndrome. I wonder if they feel that when they get to heaven there will be a special place for them for all of that suffering. That's when I thought of this passage.

           I am reminded of the story of a person trapped in a flood who dismisses two boats and a helicopter telling the rescuers "God will save me!" When the inevitable happens and they drown they meet God and say 'you didn't save me?' only for God to respond "I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what else did you want?" We can get so wrapped in our problems even as people of faith and fail to realize God's presence in our lives and all the gifts He graces us with. 

         God is always knocking on our door, approaching, helping, gracing our lives. We have to do nothing more than to open our eyes to His presence, answer the door and let him (her) in.

          Let us sincerely take time to be thankful and try to see all the gifts God has graced us with rather than all the trials and tribulations we are faced with.

‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
   we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’

Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum,
will you be exalted to heaven?
   No, you will be brought down to Hades.
For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.’