Giving Thanks

November 23, 2021

They say that gratitude is one of the healthiest emotions a person can have. It is also said that angry people are not grateful, and grateful people are not angry. Why is that?

A grateful heart and an attitude of gratitude are rooted in being content with who we are, what we have, what we do, Who created and loves us, and Whom we trust. This contentment leads to having a generous heart and being a cheerful giver.

Yet it is not enough to feel grateful. We must express it because unexpressed gratitude communicates ingratitude.

So what are you thankful for in your heart that you have not expressed? Whom are you grateful for but have not expressed it to them verbally?

Scientists have discovered that what God has been telling us all along is not simply “good advice.” There is life-transforming power when we put gratitude into practice. It is now an accepted fact of neurology that the brain cannot be in a state of appreciation and a state of fear at the same time.

All the fears that you and I carry around—of not being enough and not having enough—cannot withstand the power of deep gratitude for Who God is and what He has done on our behalf.

I love what Melody Beattie wrote:

Gratitude

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance,

chaos to order,

confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past,

brings peace for today,

and creates a vision for tomorrow."

                                                      "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow,                                                          so I approach it with confidence and thanksgiving." – Zig Ziglar

Happy Thanksgiving!