Hmmmmm
Yesterday we had a discussion with our teacher about the word “Asante” which means ‘thank you’. He was telling us how they rarely speak it because it is an action word. People SHOW their gratitude by their actions.
I was always taught to say thank you… I thought about what he was saying and even considered this a RUDE aspect of this new culture.
Today in class we were doing verb tenses and a bunch of other grammar mumbo jumbo. Honestly I am trying hard to focus. Then he brought up that verb tense or class or something and put that same word “Asante” with the word for “try” – “jaribu”. the word for “think” – “fikiri” and the word for “forgive or forgiven”- “samehe”. In each of these cases the African people did not have words for these… They were actions not words. It wasn’t until the Arabic influence that the actions were given spoken words.
I found this stirring in my heart. He went on to explain… You don’t say you will try… You try. You don’t say you are grateful or thankful, you show it by your actions. You don’t say you are or will think about something – you think about it. You don’t say you forgive, you show it. And then he elaborated with an example for the next in his thick Swahili accent… You don’t say you are forgiven by Jesus… You show it with the change in your life day after day.
Wow!!!! Jesus loves me. Jesus thinks about me. Jesus forgave me. And He showed this by dying on a cross and paying the penalty of my sin. He continues to show this by giving me a Hope that truly anchors my soul.
Now…. Just how am I going to say thank you? Speak it? Say some words for what can only be really and sincerely expressed by my actions?
Lord Jesus… Fill me with Your Holy Spirit… I want to want to…. and I do desire to show You how eternally grateful I am!
The Change of Seasons 