Giving Thanks for the Ordinary Leads to EXTRAORDINARY Gratitude!

Did you know that the words think and thank have the same root word? I find this fascinating and very helpful in my endeavor to thank my most-generous God with more than just a mere and passing “thank you.” Why is this helpful? Because to truly recognize all the things for which we can be grateful, we need to put on our thinking caps.

I’m sure you’ve heard about making a thank you list which includes the little things, the mundane—the stuff we often take for granted.

So as I began jotting down these ordinary things, something extraordinary happened—my pen just kept writing. (Sometimes I think my pen has a mind of its own!) These little things turned into a list that kept going and going toward all of their ramifications and greater appreciation.

To see what I mean, here’s a small example of my list of the ordinary expanded into the extraordinary.

I am thankful for:

♥ Toiletries so I can look presentable, keep myself clean and therefore healthy

♥ My couch where I can relax, be refreshed and re-energized to serve my Lord

♥ My Pen—so I can

  • Write notes and underline key principles in my Bible
  • Write thank you notes
  • Make my to-do list enabling me to be more productive
  • Write down my ideas in books, blogs so I can impact others for God’s Kingdom

♥ My computer so I can:

  • Check my emails and stay in communication with people
  • Search the internet for pertinent information
  • Have a website for this ministry

♥ My hands and fingers so I can:

  • Write
  • Feed myself
  • Button my blouse
  • Touch
  • Pet my kitty
  • Shake hands
  • Clap
  • Express worship
  • Turn the pages of my Bible
  • Type on my computer
  • Pick things up when they fall

♥ Legs and feet so I can:

  • Walk
  • Hike beautiful mountains
  • Exercise to stay healthy and energized to serve my Lord
  • Climb stairs to my apartment
  • Drive—to do errands, go to church where I can teach, learn and serve
  • Kick my kitty (Just kidding! I wanted to see if you were really reading this longggggg list.)

♥ My eyes so I can:

  • See all the beauty around me—sunsets, flowers, smiles
  • See the words I’ve written or typed
  • Read great books—especially the Bible
  • See all the cars and signs while driving
  • See the body language of others so I can be more sensitive to them

♥ My ears so I can hear:

  • Laughter
  • Music that comforts my soul, brings me joy, and makes me dance
  • What others are saying which allows me to engage, participate, and therefore feel like I belong
  • The Word of God that teaches me, encourages my soul, and convicts me of sin which leads me to repentance

♥ My mouth so I can:

  • Enjoy food; get the nourishment I need
  • Have conversations with others to build relationships
  • Speak words of truth, love, and encouragement
  • Fulfill my God-given mission of telling others about God’s love and salvation
  • Teach
  • Sing

But I can’t stop here! I started thinking about all the wonderful people in my life:

  • MABC—my old church family
  • IBC—my new church family
  • Steve—who’s helping me to get my message out to the world
  • Ourchurch.com who developed my beautiful website and their SEO expertise so HSWI can be found by those cyber robots and therefore by you
  • Ed, my beloved husband of 30 years who I can’t wait to see—who believed in me and loved me unconditionally. Today would have been his birthday.

I could go on and on. I plan to continue thinking and thanking God with this expanded mind-blowing method. If you and I do this…

We won’t take things, people and most of all God for granted!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day filled with praises to the One who has given us everything, especially His Son.

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:20)

P.S. And don’t forget to thank Him for the turkey and the dressing, and the pumpkin pie, and the whipped cream, and the forks, and the plates, and the cooks, and the……………

 

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.