Practicing Thankfulness
by Laurie Warner / Receptionist
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name.” Psalm 100:4
Years ago, I gave up on New Year’s Resolutions. I knew I was just setting myself up for failure! But I do want to be open to what the Lord is showing me that He wants to change in my life. The theme of thankfulness keeps coming around for me lately. I definitely need help in that area!
Over the summer I was looking for some reading material to take on vacation and I came across Joyce Meyer’s devotional called “The Power of being Thankful”. Hmmm… I think I should read this! It has been such a blessing to me.
Practicing thankfulness has changed my heart in many circumstances. On Christmas day, my son, his wife, baby and dog left our house at 11am to head south towards Pittsburgh to go to his wife’s family for dinner and spend a few days with them. Well, none of us knew about the blizzard in Erie, PA. He stopped at a rest stop in Erie and his truck wouldn’t start up again. Not to mention, the road conditions were treacherous. He ended up spending three days in Erie in a hotel (with the dog, of course) until the storm let up and his truck got fixed. Thankful? Yes! They were safe and warm. No accidents. A difficult situation, but God was with them and it was an opportunity to be thankful! It was not my “trial” in a sense, but as a mom I could have worried; instead I found reasons to be thankful. We can always see God in trials if we look for Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 says: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Life is a journey, and we are constantly making decisions as we walk along that path. By God’s grace, I can have a thankful, joyful heart in everything that I face.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name.” Psalm 100:4
Years ago, I gave up on New Year’s Resolutions. I knew I was just setting myself up for failure! But I do want to be open to what the Lord is showing me that He wants to change in my life. The theme of thankfulness keeps coming around for me lately. I definitely need help in that area!
Over the summer I was looking for some reading material to take on vacation and I came across Joyce Meyer’s devotional called “The Power of being Thankful”. Hmmm… I think I should read this! It has been such a blessing to me.
Practicing thankfulness has changed my heart in many circumstances. On Christmas day, my son, his wife, baby and dog left our house at 11am to head south towards Pittsburgh to go to his wife’s family for dinner and spend a few days with them. Well, none of us knew about the blizzard in Erie, PA. He stopped at a rest stop in Erie and his truck wouldn’t start up again. Not to mention, the road conditions were treacherous. He ended up spending three days in Erie in a hotel (with the dog, of course) until the storm let up and his truck got fixed. Thankful? Yes! They were safe and warm. No accidents. A difficult situation, but God was with them and it was an opportunity to be thankful! It was not my “trial” in a sense, but as a mom I could have worried; instead I found reasons to be thankful. We can always see God in trials if we look for Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 says: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Life is a journey, and we are constantly making decisions as we walk along that path. By God’s grace, I can have a thankful, joyful heart in everything that I face.