I am Thankful for………
….the taxes I pay ….because it means I’m employed.
….the clothes that fit a little too snug ….because it means I have enough to eat.
….my shadow who watches me work ….because it means I am out in the sunshine.
….a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and ….gutters that need fixing ….because it means I have a home.
….the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot ….because it means I am capable of walking.
….my huge heating bill ….because it means I am warm.
….all the complaining I hear about our government ….because it means we have freedom of speech.
….the lady behind me in church who sings off key. ….because it means that I can hear.
….the piles of laundry and ironing ….because it means my loved ones are nearby.
….the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours ….because it means that I’m alive.
….weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day ….because it means I have been productive.
I found the above quote today while reading through sermons and illustrations of thanks. I liked it because gratitude in action is being thankful for everything. If you’ll notice, all of the actions of gratitude above could easily be turned around into complaints and often they do. But just by tweaking them a bit, you can turn a negative into a positive and what a difference that will make to your life and the lives around you.
Dennis Prager, the author of “Happiness is a Serious Problem,” wrote:
“There is a ‘secret to happiness’ and it is gratitude. All happy people are grateful, and ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that it is being unhappy that leads people to complain, but it is truer to say that it is complaining that leads to people becoming unhappy. Become grateful and you will become a much happier person.”
This week, and the rest of this blessed season, I urge all of us to tweak our perception of the world. Instead of seeing the long line at the grocery store, look at the bounty in your cart and praise God you have it. Instead of cursing your boss for high expectations, be glad for your work and put your heart and soul into it. We have this one life, and happiness and gratitude are God’s gifts that make it truly worthwhile.
And know that tomorrow, I’ll be thankful when my alarm goes off early… because that means I get to share my Sunday morning and God’s word with you.
