Being The Tenth Leper, Even As We Wait

cultivating a life of faith and gratitude

Do you know the story from Luke 17? The one about the ten lepers?

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and in a village he came across ten men who had leprosy. They must have known what he was capable of because they shouted out to him, “Have pity on us!”

And he did. He told them to go and show themselves to a priest (who would be able to declare them clean). “And as they went”, they were healed.

Before I finish the story, I have to say this idea of “as they went” is something I hold onto when times are hard and I’m waiting for a breakthrough, an answer, a solution. It seems to be a universal principle because you’ll see it in the Bible as well as in Law of Attraction teaching (some of which I agree with, not all). It’s the idea that while we are waiting for what we cannot yet see, we are to act with faith as though it’s already happened.

Imagine if those lepers had simply hung around and waited for evidence of their healing before going to the priest. They could have waited forever.

The answer always seems to happen on the way.

Back when I was about ten, our family needed to move out of our apartment over the top of a church in Ithaca. The senior pastor at that church had resigned, and in that denomination, my dad, the assistant pastor, also had to resign. The church and new pastor graciously allowed us to stay while we looked for a new place to move.

So there we were awkwardly living upstairs. And my mom did something that might have seemed a little premature to some.

We didn’t have another place to move to yet. My dad didn’t have another church to pastor yet. But my mom began packing. She packed up everything we didn’t need in anticipation of the move we were going to make even though we didn’t know when.

She also began giving thanks for what we were praying for every day, as if we already had it. She acted as though we already had what we asked for, as Jesus taught in Mark 11:24. Yes, this verse was overused in Prosperity Gospel teachings (the church’s version of the Law of Attraction), but it still holds true.

Actually it wound up being several long months before my dad was hired and we moved. But she was using the faith she had and acted as though we were about to move any day. She took action, she moved forward in every way she could. So she was ready for the breakthrough when it came. She was ready to catch the blessing when it came rushing in.

Maybe the answer always happens on the way?

What if, instead of the usual worry over why it’s taking so long, we could look ahead with clear, unwavering eyes of faith? We might even see what we’re waiting for coming toward us as we move toward it.

Back to the story of the ten lepers:

They were all healed! And only one came back to thank Jesus for his miracle healing. Jesus asked where the others were and then told him, “Rise and go; Your faith has made you well.”

That tenth man is the one I want to be like. I want to thank the people in my life who contribute to my wholeness; to thank those who write and create things that encourage and inspire; to thank the Divine for all of the blessings. Too many to count.

It’s easy to be like the other nine. To just move on with our day. To not acknowledge the post that inspires us or even makes us laugh. To not take the time to write a positive comment on a piece of music we come across. To not thank the teacher of a class we take. To not write a review for a small business whose product we enjoy. It’s easy to rush on past, to say we don’t have time, we’ll do it later.

It takes effort, willpower, and a creative imagination to keep our faith steady when our answer seems impossible and doubts want to take over.

And it takes time and a heart of wonder and appreciation for all the goodness that comes our way: to whisper “thank you” as the sun rises, to notice and respond to those who share their gifts with us, and to grow in our awareness of the abundance we receive through the practice of giving thanks. As we focus on what we do have, even as we wait in faith, we can choose to live as if we already have what we’re asking for. And when our answer comes, we go to the Source and give thanks for what we receive.

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For journaling and reflection

• Are you familiar with the story of the ten lepers?

• Who do you most identify with? The nine? The one? Or perhaps Jesus who wondered where the others were?

• How are you cultivating more faith as you wait for what you’re asking for?

• What are some ways you incorporate gratitude into your day?

• What is one practical action of giving thanks you can take today?