I love the story I once read about a four year old boy who was asked to return thanks before Thanksgiving dinner. The family members bowed their heads in expectation. He began his prayer, thanking God for all his friends, naming them one by one.
Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa and all his aunts and uncles. After this, he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, and even the Cool Whip.
After this, though, he paused, and everyone waited, and waited, and waited. After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, “If I thank God for the broccoli, won’t He know I’m lying?!”
This story resonates with me as the Lord has now given me seven young grandsons. And as the old saying goes… “Out of the mouth of babes.” The point is that one never knows exactly what they are going to say. But one thing is for certain – whatever they say will always be something that comes straight from the heart.
And maybe, just maybe as Thanksgiving week unfolds, this is exactly what our Heavenly Father desires. Yes, He desires us to be thankful. But maybe, just maybe, He desires us to be sincere in our gratitude.
All of this is to say that yes, we absolutely should be thankful. But our gratitude should not be forced. Nor should it be pretentious. Rather, reflecting the innocence of a child, our gratitude should be voluntary, extensive, and, above all, refreshingly honest.
The same Bible that says, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) also tells us that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16), and should approach Him as such (Matthews 18:3, Mark 10:15, Luke 18:7).
In other words...
“Seriously, Lord, thank you! Thank you for all the good things You have given me; but also for all the bad things you have allowed me to experience, because this just shows how You have been there with me in all things! Like a loving Father, You have provided for me and cared for me in all things! So, again I say ‘Thank you, Lord! Seriously, thank you!’”
STORY SOURCE: Available online in several places. Consider, for instance: http://jokes.christiansunite.com/Prayer/In_All_Things_Give_Thanks.shtml.
SCRIPTURES:
https://biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/5-18.htm;
https://biblehub.com/romans/8-16.htm;
https://biblehub.com/matthew/18-3.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/10-15.htm;
https://biblehub.com/luke/18-17.htm.
Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa and all his aunts and uncles. After this, he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, and even the Cool Whip.
After this, though, he paused, and everyone waited, and waited, and waited. After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, “If I thank God for the broccoli, won’t He know I’m lying?!”
This story resonates with me as the Lord has now given me seven young grandsons. And as the old saying goes… “Out of the mouth of babes.” The point is that one never knows exactly what they are going to say. But one thing is for certain – whatever they say will always be something that comes straight from the heart.
And maybe, just maybe as Thanksgiving week unfolds, this is exactly what our Heavenly Father desires. Yes, He desires us to be thankful. But maybe, just maybe, He desires us to be sincere in our gratitude.
All of this is to say that yes, we absolutely should be thankful. But our gratitude should not be forced. Nor should it be pretentious. Rather, reflecting the innocence of a child, our gratitude should be voluntary, extensive, and, above all, refreshingly honest.
The same Bible that says, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) also tells us that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16), and should approach Him as such (Matthews 18:3, Mark 10:15, Luke 18:7).
In other words...
“Seriously, Lord, thank you! Thank you for all the good things You have given me; but also for all the bad things you have allowed me to experience, because this just shows how You have been there with me in all things! Like a loving Father, You have provided for me and cared for me in all things! So, again I say ‘Thank you, Lord! Seriously, thank you!’”
STORY SOURCE: Available online in several places. Consider, for instance: http://jokes.christiansunite.com/Prayer/In_All_Things_Give_Thanks.shtml.
SCRIPTURES:
https://biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/5-18.htm;
https://biblehub.com/romans/8-16.htm;
https://biblehub.com/matthew/18-3.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/10-15.htm;
https://biblehub.com/luke/18-17.htm.