"ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE"

We just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. I imagine you had some kind of tradition in stating something you were thankful for (we do anyway).

’m sure that for that day, it wasn’t that hard to come up with something to be thankful for; family, friends, your job, or at least the food you were about to eat.

What about the rest of the year?

What about when things aren’t going in such a way that it’s easy to give thanks?

   We typically want to reserve our words of thanks for occasions and circumstances that are positive in our eyes. After all, that’s when it’s easy.

There is a lot of emotional support from within to let the words freely flow.

In I Thessalonians 5:18 we find that we are to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

This includes the good in our lives, but also the not so good in our lives.

  I recently had to put this into practice after locking keys in a car.

This wasn’t as easy as going back into my house to get another set.

This involved a return trip to Davenport (right after I just got back from there). There is more to this story, but basically I had an opportunity to give God thanks even in this circumstance.

For one, I was thankful I found out when I did, instead of the next day when I really needed my keys.

I was thankful that I made my mistake as close to home as I did

(as opposed to where I was going) and finally I could be thankful for my safe travels in getting to and from Davenport in the dark with suicidal deer.

I don’t tell that story to toot my own horn (Thankfulness at these times isn’t always the norm). I share this to point out how clearly I understand how hard this can be

(as it was the end of a very long day and all I wanted to do was zone out on the couch with an old black and white movie).

   So yes, for “Thanksgiving” day, we were all probably thankful.

There are 364 other days of the year that should be days we focus on giving God thanks, and demonstrating an “attitude of gratitude.” 

If we make our focus one of being thankful, we will be thankful.

If we don’t, it’s likely we won’t.

   There is always something to be thankful for because God is good, loves each of us very much, and has already told us He has a plan and purpose for our lives. God’s word encourages an “attitude of gratitude.”

                          ~Working on having my own “attitude of gratitude,” 

  Pastor Josh