Sunday, January 20, 2013

A Thankful Heart, Good Medicine

At the end of October our oldest little boy (5 1/2) and I made our own Thanksgiving Countdown Tree.  I can't take credit for the idea.  I saw it on some Facebook page (if I remembered where I would give credit where credit is due).  We had so much fun working on it together.

Each day from then until Thanksgiving we removed one leaf from the tree, wrote something each of the 4 of us (even our 2 1/2 year old) were thankful for on it, then put it at the bottom of the tree. 

By Thanksgiving Day the tree was bear and the leaves at the bottom represented so much to be thankful for!  We read each of them aloud...and thanked God again.


It was a fun thing to do.  But, more than that, it was a great exercise to teach our children the power of praise and thanksgiving.  To point out their blessings.  To direct their thanks to the Giver of all good gifts.  To teach them to recognize how faithful and good He is, in all things.  It was good for their mama and daddy too!

“How my eyes see, perspective, is my key to enter into His gates. I can only do so with thanksgiving. If my inner eye has God seeping up through all things, then can't I give thanks for anything? And if I can give thanks for the good things, the hard things, the absolute everything, I can enter the gates to glory. Living in His presence is fullness of joy- and seeing shows the way in.”  Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Oh, to have eyes to see...to really see! 
 
The problem is we don't often slow down enough to see, to recognize how blessed we are.
 
I've been very focused on pursuing better physical health recently.  Even been sharing parts of my journey on my other blog Health In Beranville and corresponding Facebook page.  But I know overall health goes a lot deeper than the physical.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." 
Proverbs 17:22

I believe a thankful heart is a cheerful heart.  A thankful heart does not focus on the negative.  It does count blessings (even in the hard stuff of life).  It's like medicine, healing salve for our souls!  How can we not be cheerful (to be down hearted) when our heart is full of thankfulness?!  

Today I plan to take extra time be still.  To rest in His presence.  To ask Him to give me eyes to see, really see, just how blessed I am.  To praise Him, the Giver, because He is so very good!  To nourish my soul.

Have you stopped to count your blessings today?  Have you praised the Giver?  If not, what's stopping you?  Take the time...right now!

Having a hard time knowing where to start?  Can't see the good?  What about this, did you wake up this morning with air in your lungs.  Of course you did.  Today is another chance.  His mercies are new every morning (Lam 3:23).  Do you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, internet access, food in your belly?  If so, you are richer than a large majority of people on this planet.  He is good and faithful and His loves endures forever.

Oh, if only we have eyes to see, really see! 

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever

Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever."
 
Psalm 136:1-3 
 
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