Thankful Thursday #10

Today, I am taking a slightly different approach to Thankful Thursday. Whereas I usually have a longish gratitude list, today I am going to list only one thing for which I am thankful. That is because the one thing for which I am grateful is very powerful: the grace of God.

In doing so, I will relate a popular anecdote, which is worth repeating on the off-chance that you have not yet heard it. In this anecdote a very chaste man who has loved and obeyed God all of his life ends up at the pearly gates after death, met by St. Peter.

"To enter these gates," said St. Peter, "you need 100 points. Tell me from where your 100 points will come."

The man furrowed his brow for an instant, and the obvious sprang forth from his mouth, "I never missed a Sunday service."

"Ten points," announced St. Peter.

The man was flabbergasted. Only ten points? Hm... He furrowed his brow again and then brightened. "I was a catechist for fifteen years."

"Five points," announced St. Peter.

The man was even more flabbergasted and thought long and hard about where he could gather some points.

"I worked at a soup kitchen every Wednesday for three years," he offered hopefully.

"Three points," pronounced St. Peter.

The man began to panic. Where could he find more points? Oh! Money! "I donated nearly $10,000 to my church over my lifetime," he pointed out with pride.

"One point," pronounced St. Peter.

The man was now in a full-fledged panic. He looked at St. Peter, his head empty of thought, and wailed, "At this rate, I will only enter Heaven by the grace of God."

"Bingo!" replied St. Peter. "You're in." With that, he opened the gates.

I am very grateful for the grace of God. What more marvelous gift can there be on this earth?

Thankful Thursday is becoming a very popular meme. At this point, not knowing which came first, I am not sure to which meme host to link, so I am linking to two of the three I know about. Check out both of them for reading pleasure and a real upper.


hMore information about one of the Thankful Thursday memes can be found at the website of Grace Alone. This meme host is shared with other blogs so you will need to check to see which one is hosting any given month.

Link up with Greg's and Daryl's Thankful Thursday at Greg's General Store.