From: Richard Hsiung
I received a gift from my brother a few days ago. It was a small, yet thoughtful gift, and it made me think, “What did I do to deserve this gift?” I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary for him, or even go much out of my way. And yet he felt the call to show his gratitude with something so meaningful.
Being able to show deep gratitude is something I’ve always struggled with. After reading Mary’s Song of Praise in Luke 1.46, I get a much clearer picture of what gratitude and humility means for a person of faith. She is truly exemplary of the humble, faithful disciple. It’s difficult to feel as she does, that my accomplishments are not my own, that my life is great only because of God. But the alternative is the horrific downfall caused by pride as described in Isaiah 15-16. Becoming truly humble may be something out of my reach. Hopefully I can work on it. I do believe that in order to show gratitude, to be a disciple, to praise God, I need to take these steps towards humility.
I am a medical researcher living with my loving wife Elise and a naughty pug Luna in South Boston.