The thankful Habit

A tourist once visited a mountain village in Mexico.  The people were poor and had no plumbing or electricity to heat or cool water.  This was no problem, however, since a spring ran from the snow cap at the top of the mountain providing cold water and a hot spring of geothermally heated water also sprang up in another place.  The women would ash their clothing in the hot spring and rinse them in the cold spring.

“These people are really blessed,” said the tourist said to his guide.  “They must thank God all the time for this.”

The guide laughed. “Thank God? O no, senor.  They complain to God all the time, because He did not provide them with any soap.”

This story illustrates one of the problems with human nature.  Optimistic people see all kinds of reasons for thanking God, while pessimists always find some reason for complaint.

Most of us are somewhere between these two extremes.  We thank God, but we also grumble and complain.  We know that complaining gets us nowhere, and that optimists are happier than pessimists, but we cannot help ourselves. 

Think about how it would be if we could be more like the optimists in life, who see God’s blessings everywhere! They living in a different universe than the rest of us—one where anything and everything reveals the hand of a benevolent, caring God.  The world is not their enemy it is their friend, seeing opportunity and new adventures everywhere. When the world is for us,  even our obstacles become stepping stones to greater and more wonderful things. 

In 1 Thess 5:16-19  Paul says “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  Do not put out the Spirit's fire;”

This passage suggests that there might be a connection between being joyful, praying,  and keeping the Spirit’s fire burning and giving thanks in all circumstances. Certainly approaching life with a thankful disposition cannot help but make us more likely to enjoy life and bring us closer to God. After all, if we treat each day as a gift, it will be!

Today, as you go through the day, take time to say thanks to God for every thing that happens. Do not let a waking hour go by without thanking God.

“Thank you Father for the crown of life laid up for me in heaven;
Thank you Father for the tree of life from which I have sprung;
Thank you Father for the pulse of life drumming and humming around me;
Thank you Father for the pain of life that molds me into who I am;
Thank you Father for the love of life that gives me reason to live;
Thank your Father for the end of life where opens the Great Door;
Thank you Father for being life;
Thank you Father for life—for this amazing life.

In Jesus’ name, Amen