I don’t know who you are.   But I want to say thank you.

Thanks for doing the right thing when nobody was looking.   When there was no chance that anyone but God would see it.  When it cost you more deeply than anyone could know.  But you did it anyway.

Thanks for staying faithful to your spouse when you had the chance to cheat.   For turning down the higher paying job that would have jeopardized your example or compromised your principles.   For being reputable even when your honesty cost you a ton of money, and caused you more trouble than you could possibly have imagined.

Thanks for choosing to be hurt rather than hurt someone else.   For keeping a confidence when it cost you dearly and no one else understood.   For giving the benefit of the doubt when it seemed impossible. For repaying evil with kindness.  For giving time you didn’t have to help save a friend’s marriage.   For choosing not to cave into gossip and negativity when everyone else did.   For being kind to people no one else would.

Thanks for helping those who could give nothing in return.  For doing what was best for the other person rather than what they wanted–even if it made them lash out at you.

You may have thought that doing the right thing would always get you “good” results.  I wish it worked that way, but it doesn’t.

Jesus always did the right thing.   He was totally and completely without sin.  If anyone ever deserved a great outcome for their sterling behavior, it was Him.    But in the short term he experienced suffering, rejection, agony, and ultimately death.   That was his “reward.”   But he endured it all for a bigger picture:  A preferred future that gave you and I a chance to be in a right relationship with God, and experience abundant life.

If you have ever suffered for doing the right thing you are in Excellent company.

I want to tell you thanks.  Because maybe you did the right thing and expected to get “right” results.   And instead you got slapped down, pushed back, and beat up so much that now you can barely see straight.   Maybe you’re there right now, and you’re wondering if it was worth the trouble.  It was.    And there will come a day when everyone else realizes and understands that.

“if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” (I Peter 4:19)

Maybe you thought nobody saw the good you did.

God saw it.   And He didn’t forget it.  And He didn’t forget you.  And he will honor it.