The Practice of Giving Thanks
Our thoughts often turn toward gratitude during the month of November. Maybe we tell others something for which we are grateful -- at a family dinner, or maybe at a church service or other gathering. This year, I want to challenge you to begin a Practice of Thanksgiving that continues throughout the coming year. What an incredible and simple way for us to teach our children about God!
This week my kids and I are giving thanks to God each day. We have created a Thankfulness Tree to display our gratitude, recording our thanksgiving on paper leaves and hanging them on our tree. By the end of the week our tree will be full of colorful prayers of thanksgiving, reminding us of all that God has done.
You can create your own Thankfulness Display in any way you would like: make a banner or wall display, create your own bunting, build a tree, or tape your messages to popsicle sticks to make a bouquet. I would love to see a picture of your Thankfulness Display!
I was recently reading excerpts of George Muller’s journal and was impressed by his continual gratitude. He documented everything God did for him -- every answer to prayer, every penny he was given. George and Mary, his wife, never asked for anything from anyone, but instead trusted God to provide everything necessary to support more than 10,000 children in the orphanages that they had established. Sometimes the need was literally for their daily bread as all the children sat at the table, and gave thanks, even though there was no food in the house … and God provided just in time through a local baker and a broken milk cart.
In Ephesians 5:20, we are told to “always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Thanksgiving touches every area of our lives. It is foundational to our faith, and shapes how we understand who God is and what he desires for us. Giving thanks continually is an incredibly powerful and challenging habit to develop -- one that requires intentional practice.
You can create your own Thankfulness Display in any way you would like: make a banner or wall display, create your own bunting, build a tree, or tape your messages to popsicle sticks to make a bouquet. I would love to see a picture of your Thankfulness Display!
I was recently reading excerpts of George Muller’s journal and was impressed by his continual gratitude. He documented everything God did for him -- every answer to prayer, every penny he was given. George and Mary, his wife, never asked for anything from anyone, but instead trusted God to provide everything necessary to support more than 10,000 children in the orphanages that they had established. Sometimes the need was literally for their daily bread as all the children sat at the table, and gave thanks, even though there was no food in the house … and God provided just in time through a local baker and a broken milk cart.
In Ephesians 5:20, we are told to “always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Thanksgiving touches every area of our lives. It is foundational to our faith, and shapes how we understand who God is and what he desires for us. Giving thanks continually is an incredibly powerful and challenging habit to develop -- one that requires intentional practice.
How can you begin to practice thankfulness, personally and in your family?
Some ideas include:
May the peace of Christ be with you!
Christy
Some ideas include:
- Daily gratitude journal
- Thanksgiving tree
- “Popcorn” thanksgiving at dinner
- Gratitude wall
May the peace of Christ be with you!
Christy
1 Comment
Thankful for you, Christy, and for all you do for the families and children at LPC! 😊