Well, we are in the new year and I am going to ask you to go with me back a few years ago in The Pew…2016 to be exact. I use the Upper Room for my morning devotional time and an article in the February issue, some years back led me to this topic. The article was submitted by Bob G. Wood from Tennessee.  An old joke tells about two Israelites who were following Moses across the Red Sea just after God parted the waters. One comments to the other, “Can you imagine what this mud is doing to our sandals? They’re probably ruined.” We are a lot like those two in the joke; we are so focused on the negatives and worries of our lives that we completely miss the miracles and blessings all around us. I believe for many of us the act of being grateful is not at the top of our list. While I was wandering around in the Archives I ran across this scripture from another post from another day… Philippians 4:8    Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The above scripture is one of my favorites. Most of last week using the church newsletter and other means of communicating my Pastor shared that he had a very important message he wished to share with us…on Sunday, January 5 at both services. The message was about Gratitude…Thankfulness and how that simple little act can change our world, people around us and most importantly the world around us… “but” now that word always opens my ears. The “but” was it was gonna cost us. Unlike some folks I don’t always equate “gonna cost us” with money. There will always be some money involved however I got this from what else he had to say. Pastor spoke of how messed up the world has been these last four years… no don’t go there! Politics plays into it but the hate, divineness and just plain lack of civility, I use this a lot…as Pogo once said… “The enemy is us.”

Don’t know if he will read this or not, if I got it wrong…sorry. After I had some time to think about it, well I don’t mind saying that’s “brilliant”. Oh I can assure you that Bill Gates and I as some folks like to say “went out there” to check this out. Pastor has challenged us to take this next year and make it  A Year Of Gratitude… Now first off he said as many a Preacher has said in the past… “it’s in the Bible.” It is referred to as gratitude or giving thanks and the apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament talked and wrote about it a lot. Believe I would be right if I also mentioned so does some folks in the Old Testament. Let’s pause a moment here a look at that word again…Gratitude.  A simple word, just nine letters and it is going to change the world? Consider this from the web site gotquestions.com .

“When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires and off the pain of current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control. Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.”

I left the above scriptures links open and you can click on them to read if you wish. Come back and join us in “The Pew” next week…in the mean time… Show a little Gratitude for the good things.

Life is Good

jk