Growing Gratitude
Gratitude is the sign of noble souls -AESOP
I’ve spent this month experimenting with what I’ve called “The Gratitude Challenge.” It began when I posted a piece of scripture on our family memory verse window: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:18
“What does circumstances mean?” Hannah asked as she read the verse aloud at the breakfast table.
“In all circumstances means in every situation,” I explained as I spread my thirdborn’s bagel with jelly.
“Seriously?” Hannah guffawed. “How can we give thanks in ALL situations?” Her skepticism continued as she listed a cornucopia of circumstances that would not naturally lend to gratitude. “What about when I fall off my bike and need a band aid to stop the bleeding? And when I miss the bus? And when someone is making fun of me? And when my tummy hurts? And when nobody wants to play with me? And…” The list continued. In fact, woefully, I realized that it is usually easier to catalog our ingratitude than to record our thankfulness.
With that humbling thought rumbling in my mind, I determined to put I Thessalonians 5:18 into practice until the turkey was carved and the pumpkin pie was placed on display. I invited the kids to write their “thankfuls” on paper leaves and we slipped our praises into a box. We illustrated our praises with crayons one day as we shared a meal together. And we played the “gratitude game” in the van. “Okay, Luke, your basketball team is three points from winning the state title. Coach asks you to take the winning shot. You breathe a prayer, heave the ball and it bounces off the rim….For what would you give thanks in that circumstance?” The kids loved trying to stump one another with dim situations, but they cheered one another on when a praise was issued. Together, we began to look at circumstances differently.
Just one day from our holiday of gratitude, I am awed by the change that has taken place inside of me as I’ve sought to grow a little gratitude this month. While I would not earn the name Pollyanna, I am learning that giving thanks begins with adjusting my vision.
When Christ shared with his disciples the inevitable reality of his impending death, Peter responded with a reprimand: “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said, “This will never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:23a)
Christ’s reply is harsh and shocking; “Get away from me Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23b)
As I think about Christ’s response to Peter, I’m beginning to realize that Jesus takes seriously the lens through which we view life. Perhaps that’s why gratitude is a command rather than a suggestion. I don’t think Peter realized his own limited vision. He was simply focused on himself instead of his Savior.
I’m no gratitude guru, but I am learning that giving thanks in all circumstances is not merely about my offering the Lord a gift of praise. It is also about His offering me a gift as well: a new perspective through which to view my moment. In short, I cannot count my blessings without acknowledging the Giver of all good gifts. Gratitude shifts my focus from self to Savior. Gratitude moves my eyes from the dust of this earth to the throne room of Heaven. And so, in the end, gratitude changes me. Long before the Macy’s parade begins. Long after the turkey has been carved. Moment by moment, day by day, gratitude improves my vision.
I’m glad the story of Peter, the Rock, did not end with Christ’s reprimand. Though Peter’s self-focus may have initially blinded him to the miracle of Calvary,years later this same disciple wrote, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with GREAT EXPECTATION, and we have a priceless inheritance- an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay…. So be truly glad…” (1 Peter 1:3-6).
That sounds like a man who has learned to give thanks in all circumstances, a man who traded his old heart lens for a new one.
Happy Thanksgiving! May tomorrow’s holiday hold more than stuffed tummies and family fun; may it mark the beginning of life with a new heart lens. Blessings to each of you!
