A GRATEFUL HEART

Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! 1 Chronicles 16:8

Often my wife comes with me when I go for a jog early in the morning, just as the sun is coming up. We run past the plowed fields, we hear the birds singing as they build nests, and we occasionally see small antelope darting across the fields. There’s a bird sanctuary near our farm in South Africa, and we often observe flocks of geese flying over in formation. We always agree that we are so grateful to live in such a beautiful place.

If I allow myself to be consumed with work or my worldly problems, I’ll miss it all, jogging right past it without really seeing. In the same way, without an attitude of gratitude in life, we might fail to see the blessings that God gives us daily. Why focus on the negative and cloud our vision, missing the beauty right in front of us?

There’s always something to be grateful for. Even when life is tough, the things in life that are really worth having are the things that money can’t buy: true friendship, the love of family, and good health. Some of the most unhappy people I have met in my life are those who have so much money that they could never spend it in two lifetimes, let alone one. Gratefulness is priceless!

Let’s decide to have a godly mindset and to thank the Lord for the good things we have. Go out today with new eyes – the eyes of faith – and have a wonderful day.

Dear God, thank You for the gifts You’ve set around me! Allow my eyes to see them for all that they are. Amen.