Thankful Heart

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) During a phone call with my daughter yesterday, we discussed the importance of teaching children to have an attitude of gratefulness. Parenting is always a challenge and in this day of abundance, media advertising, and targeted marketing, it is natural for a child to express the “I want it now” syndrome. The “it” may not even be a toy but time and attention. Yet, life’s demands require choices with our resources of time and finances and our responsibility is to teach our children to be thankful for what they have. We brainstormed about ways to encourage the girls to have a thankful heart, especially timely with both holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner. How about adults? Do we suffer from the same attitude? Do our expectations and desires cloud our thinking so that we miss the good things that God is doing for us? After the past couple of weeks, I am grateful for a smile on Mark’s face. The unexpected visits by new friends encourage me that we are cared for. A gift of a yellow day lily sitting on my kitchen counter demonstrates God’s love of beauty. Let’s take inventory this month and list the daily small graces given by our Father…and give thanks.