gratitude for everything. If I'm tempted to grumble about all the dishes
that need to be washed I now say, "I'm so thankful for all these dirty dishes
because it means we have plenty to eat."
Corrie had learned that the fleas kept the guards away, which allowed her
and others to study the Bible without interruption.
thankful for.
of grumbling that I had to reschedule my appointment. It matters a
great deal how we choose to look at things. It's the difference between
gratitude and grumbling.
refuses to say thank you when she's
given a gift. For as long as I've known
her, she will not say it--even when
prodded by her mother to do so.
I believe she thinks that she "deserves"
these things, so why should she have to
give thanks for them. Faulty thinking no
matter one's age, and yet we've all
probably done it. I know I have.
ness keeps the wheels turning in rela-
my new prescription for glasses, I was once again
progressively sharper. I realized it's a lot like gratitude: Grati-
tude is the lens that reveals God's incredible grace at work.
pressing appreciation--in any
language--conveys that the
person matters.
is special anymore. The impersonal
interactions that exist today are
apparent in the brusque way we
treat each other. When thanks is
lacking, relationships suffer.
door open for anyone else entering
the same place. Many times this
small act of kindness goes unnoticed
without so much as a word of thanks.
gone out of your way to show. It
happened to Jesus at least once
that we know of. Jesus healed ten
lepers of their dreaded skin disease,
and almost before He finished
speaking all ten were headed for
the city to see the priest. Only one
thank you.
called to remember
what God has done
for them. The Old
Testament especially