There are so many reasons to give thanks. Just the simple exercise of counting your blessings really can be very humbling to someone who's just "not feeling it" today. Some days I just get in a funk and I'm okay with just mentally coasting, and truthfully, I really don't want to be all warm and fuzzy with God or anyone. These are usually the days when I'm hurting or just not feeling very good over all. That's the real reason you are missing days 23 and 24.... I just didn't feel like lying to you or crying on your shoulder. I wasn't all grumpy and miserable, I just was not in the mood.
One reason to give thanks is that giving thanks turns the negative into positive. It reminds us that it really could be worse, no matter how awful the situation is that we're in.... and I'm not talking starving children in Africa, bad.... I'm talking next door neighbor bad or co-worker bad. We all know someone who's dealing with much more than we are. When we really think about all we are blessed with, we cannot help but be filled with gratitude and positive thoughts. Positive thoughts lead to positive attitudes.
Another reason to give thanks is to walk the talk. I'm a parent and a role model to my children. Rodney and I are training our children to be productive, capable, loving, God-fearing, caring people who can one day live independent from us and be successful in all areas of their lives. They cannot do this if we say one thing and do another. As a mom, I can only play the "do as I say, not as I do card" when it really doesn't matter... like when double dipping or taking a swig out of the OJ carton. It doesn't work at all. And when I'm gone from the room, I fully expect them to double dip. Why wouldn't I? I'm not a fool. Actions and attitudes are 100s of times more powerful than words. Words are meaningless without action or with poor attitude. (another reason I didn't want to write empty words for you days 23-24... meaningless). In our home we often share our gratitudes with each other and celebrate them together.
The greatest reason to give thanks is found in the second chapter of Ephesians. I follow Walt Muller's blog and he posted this today and nothing more. Verses 1-10... "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
So I'm back on track and fully feeling thankful today for so many things besides the obvious. For people who love me. For being married to my best friend. For parents who didn't give me step-parents and step-brothers & sisters or half-brothers & sisters. For the best in-laws I could ever have. For health, wealth, abilities and resources. For Corn Bible Academy and it's faculty and supporters. For my church family. For good books and good blogs and great hair color. For internet shopping, chocolate and instant heat sources.... the fireplace or space heaters. For Bose Sounddocks and iPods, Blackberries and caller id. Christmas lights, puzzles, Ticket to Ride and good fitting jeans. I could fill the page with the little stuff I enjoy thoroughly... I think you get the idea.
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