The biggest Thanksgiving obstacle is the day after when Christmas shopping
begins in earnest and we stop thinking about what we have and start thinking
about what we want. Many of us like to peruse the Christmas catalogue looking
at all the neat stuff we want. We ought to spend more time looking at the neat
stuff we already have. Psalm 103 is God’s catalogue of blessings, not a
Christmas catalogue but a Thanksgiving Catalogue.
I have discovered that the amount of joy in my life is directly related to
my attitude of thankfulness. Even painful memories are softened by a
realization that I have survived and learned, and for that I am grateful. When
I think of the present with gratitude, my natural impulse is to live in the
moment and enjoy it. When I look toward the future with gratitude, I expect
tomorrow to be filled with wonderful discoveries and growth, just as yesterday
and today have been.
Gratitude is not precisely the same thing as optimism. It’s more the attitude
that makes optimism possible. It is essentially a habit of thinking, a way of
understanding who we are and what happens in our lives. Life is a gift, a
wonderful, miraculous gift. It’s not something we deserve or purchase with our
efforts. It is simply there for us every morning, waiting for us to unwrap and
enjoy.
In his song, My Tribute, Andrae
Crouch sings to God: “How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me?
Things so undeserved, yet You gave to prove Your love for me; the voices of a
million angels
could not express my gratitude. All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all
to Thee.”
Go with God,
Pastor Qualley
No comments:
Post a Comment