Thanks-living!

Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
—Ephesians 5:20

Do you have a thankful heart?

I like to think I do but I must confess my heart, at times, is more "busy" than thankful.

Gratitude is the root of thankfulness and reflection is the root of gratitude. "Busy" hearts don’t take time to reflect; consequently I often miss out on thankfulness. Said differently: "If you pause to think, you will have cause to thank!"

How about you? Do you find that if you take a moment to be quiet and reflect that you find gratitude in your heart and then thankfulness in your spirit?

Time to reflect, to think, helps sort out the aspect of life that really matter. For some folk thankfulness only comes with success, with winning, achieving, like good grades, promotion, a raise, even trying to pick the fast check out lane at the grocery store! When success is the basis of thankfulness, we set ourselves up for a roller coaster ride, as all too often the success-failure split leaves the "thankful quotient" pretty mediocre and pretty infrequent.

How do you live a life of thankfulness as we are reminded in the scripture above? I like to call it "Thanks-living."

Moving away from win-lose, success-failure, quicker-slower, newer-older, gives a different basis for thankfulness. One that reflects every bit as much quality and achievement, but goes deeper to the core of our values and calling as humans created in God’s image.

Let me tell you as story: Mother Teresa started her ministry to the dying of Calcutta with three pennies in her pocket, a conviction in her heart, determination, and prayer in her will. As you know the ministry grew as other people were moved to support with their time, talents, and treasures.

Years later, Mother Teresa was being interviewed by a reporter from the United States following her recognition with the Nobel Peace prize. "Mother Teresa, how did you become so successful? Starting with so little, to what do you attribute your success?"

Mother Teresa tells it pretty straight. "My child, my Lord does not call me to success, only faithfulness. Success is the measure of man, faithfulness if the character of God. I have only sought to be faithful to what He calls me to do each day of my life. Faithfulness is the call of scripture, not success."

Wow! Make faithfulness your standard for thanks-living and all of a sudden you are thankful for lots of people, lots of things that you otherwise might take for granted: your spouse, children, family, friends who stand by you through thick and thin. The fire, police, paramedics, Emergency Department, your fellow associates, physician partners, the school crossing guards, and bus drivers, rain or shine, they are there. So is your mail carrier! Surprise them by saying thank you for being faithful to the people who count on you day in day out.

There is a Psalm of thanksgiving. Read it on Thursday of you want to start a family tradition. Psalm 100 it says it all: "For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." Ps 100:5

Let us be faithful in all we do!