阅读经文 

我朋友的癌症复发了。我到他家里探访他，他的家很舒适，然而他却无法掩饰他的不适。癌细胞已扩散到他的骨骼了，他痛得很厉害。

他发觉自己仰卧平躺在地上时最为舒适，所以他便常常这样做。

他与我分享他以这样仰卧的姿势来看的一则新闻。他说：“我看见山头有一大群人—— 数以千计的伊拉克难民挤在营里。面对风雪、严寒天气，他们唯一的庇护所是完全不足以遮盖避难者的帐篷！”

我欣赏他的同理心。他继续反省说：“他们当中有些人也是正在患病和正在受苦的——看看他们身处的地方，天寒地冻，他们还躺卧在帐篷里！”

看到那些远方的邻舍时，他对他们生出怜悯和关怀，他更为他自己周围的环境感恩。“我虽然也在受苦，然而我是蒙福的，我有这个舒适的地方可以躺下。我非常感恩。”

尽管痛得厉害，我的朋友却看到他享受的福气并因此献上感谢！他让我明白“凡事谢恩”的意义。

那天我离开他家时，我的心是温暖和感恩的——我为这位仁厚的弟兄和他感恩的心献上感谢，而我也渴望自己拥有这种感恩的心。

A friend's cancer had returned. I went to see him in his home. It was a comfortable place, but he couldn't hide his discomfort. The cancer was now in his bones. He was hurting—badly.

His most comfortable position, he learned, was to lie with his back flat on the floor. So that's what he often did.

He shared his experience of watching the news from that position. "I saw the masses on the hillside—thousands of refugees from Iraq crowded into camps. Snow, bitterly cold weather, and their only shelter was wholly inadequate tents!" he said.

I admired him for his empathy. He reflected further: "Some of those people are sick and in pain too—and look where they are, lying in a tent in that bitter cold!"

As he saw those distant neighbors, he was moved by compassionate concern for them, and he was grateful for his own surroundings. "I am in pain, but I am so blessed to have this good place to lie down. I am very thankful."

Even in his severe pain, my friend saw blessings and gave thanks! He showed me what it can mean to "give thanks in all circumstances."

As I left his home that day, my heart was warm and grateful—for this gracious brother and his grateful heart. I want that gratefulness in my heart