He was thankful for this?!

Today is a special Thankful Thursday.  To me, it is just as, if not more holy than Thanksgiving Thursday in November.  It wasn't until I moved to a predominately-Catholic region that I learned the sacredness of Maundy Thursday, but the past few years have brought a wonderful joy to my heart on this day of the year. To remember with gratitude what He did.  Is that not what every ordinance celebration of Communion should be too?

"He took the cup and gave thanks ..." -Matthew 26:27 (NLV)

Really?  He was thankful for this -

Knowing it would mean this - 

Today, again - His gratitude stuns me.

Can I have that kind of thankfulness?  What did He ask me to remember?

"These are the things we are never to forget. The love of Jesus, with its constraining power, is to be kept fresh in our memory. Christ has instituted this service that it may speak to our senses of the love of God that has been expressed in our behalf. There can be no union between our souls and God except through Christ. The union and love between brother and brother must be cemented and rendered eternal but the love of Jesus. And nothing less than the death of Christ could make His love efficacious for us. It is only because of His death that we can look with joy to His second coming. His sacrifice is the center of our hope. Upon this we must fix our faith."   -Ellen G. White in The Desire of Ages

On most Thursdays, I list several items from my gratitude journal recorded throughout the week.  Today I want to list just one.  I want to remember, like He did so many years ago - above all - gratitude for the New Deal.  He got pain, suffering, and death. I get eternity with Him and hope for today.

Oh, God - I'm so very thankful!