Grateful Hearts!

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The day before Thanksgiving an elderly man in Phoenix called his son in New York and said, “I hate to ruin your day, but after 45 years of marriage, your mother and I are getting a divorce. We’re sick of each other, so call you sister in New York and tell her.”

Frantic, he called his sister who immediately phoned their Father and said to him, “Don’t you dare do a thing until we get there. I’m calling my brother and we will both be there tomorrow.”

The man hung up, looked at his wife and said, “Okay, honey. The kids are coming for Thanksgiving and paying for their own flight!” Some people will go to extreme measures to get family together for Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Day is upon us, and in the spirit of the history of this day, I enjoy wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. The other day, I was talking with an older gentleman in our water class, and out of habit, I wished him a Happy Thanksgiving. Now, this man has celebrated losing 90 pounds, working out, and getting in shape, but he looked at me and said, “Listen, my wife and I are divorced. My son died. I am just a lonely old man who has nothing for which to be thankful.

Contrast this with a story told by Jim Penner. He says, “I’ll never forget sitting on the steps of our house as an eight year old watching my mother open the door to two men who handed her some papers. As tears rolled down her eyes, it didn’t take me long to figure out that our car had been repossessed, our house was in jeopardy, and we had no money.

Jim walked down the hall to find his mother on her knees praying, “Thank you, God for what you’ve provided and thank you that we have something to eat tonight.” I learned a lifetime of wisdom in those few minutes. The grateful heart in the midst of adversity is a blessing that I’ll never forget.

A grateful heart is a mind set of appreciation for life’s blessings, big and small, which helps transform perspective and find contentment in hardship. It involves forcusing on what one has rather than what is lacking in our lives. A grateful heart encompasses acknowledging simple pleasures in our lives and giving thanks for the present moments we enjoy.

A grateful heart isn’t a natural response to adversity in our lives, but it is a developed discipline. The Psalmist says, “Forget not all His benefits.” In the midst of an ungrateful heart, when we don’t think God has blessed us, if we will sit down and recall His faithfulness through the years, we will end up filled with joy and with a grateful heart.

Many of us are fortunate enough to be able to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends, and if we are, thank God with a grateful heart because many don’t have that opportunity. We are blessed in many ways, and sometimes rather than saying “Thank you,” we tend to just expect God to keep the blessings coming!

Leslie Weatherhead tells a story of eating with a couple in northern England right after WWII. Food was scarce, but the wife managed to fix a wonderful meal of fresh trout from a nearby stream and fresh vegetables from the garden. He enjoyed the meal greatly, and when it was over he thanked the hostess for it.

She blushed shyly and said, “Oh sir, my husband never thanks me when I prepare a meal for him.” Weatherhead was embarrassed for the husband, but he soon learned that the husband wasn’t embarrassed at all. He said he could still remember the husband sitting there saying, “I would have told you if I didn’t like it.” A grateful heart should be expressed.

This year as we gather together, remember to thank God in all circumstances and to gather with a grateful heart. The Apostle Paul didn’t say to give thanks “for” all circumstances, but “in” all circumstances. All of our circumstances in life are not good, but there will always be something in those circumstances for which to give thanks.

Give thanks with a grateful heart; Give thanks to the Holy One; Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, his Son. And now, Let the weak say, I am strong; Let the poor say, I am rich; Because of what the Lord has done. Give thanks. Henry Smith

Happy Thanksgiving!