Hello ,
You take approximately 23,000 breaths every day, but when was the last time you thanked God for one of them? The process of inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide is a complicated respiratory task that requires physiological precision. We tend to thank God for the things that take our breath away. And that's fine. But maybe we should thank him for every other breath too!*
I do quite well in remembering to be thankful for the BIG things in life; the way He protected my little girl from drowning when she was only, or that time we couldn't get our car started, and after praying it fired right up. I excel at thanking God for each new day of life, and for this family that I love so much, but I sometimes forget that every heartbeat, and every breath is a gift from Him.
A few years ago, I heard someone put a play on words that I really appreciated: Thanks-living. Not Thanks-GIVING....Thanks-LIVING. Being truly grateful for EVERYTHING that God gives to us can be a brand new paradigm for many people who struggle with what to be thankful for. Here's just a short list of things that may seem common, but are UNCOMMONLY good gifts:
- My fingers. Although speech-recognition exists, I'm thankful that I can use my fingers to actually type out what you're reading. It's a privilege to have my brain (somewhat) connected to my fingers...(I'm a really fast "hunt-n-peck" kind of person.)
- My toes. They're not beautiful, but they give me balance.
- My tongue. It has taste-buds, and I'm able to move it in my mouth to form words. I may not notice it most of the time, but I'm thankful that it works properly.
- My ears. They're functional...although my family says that they seem to functioning less and less with age. I can still hear my children say "I love you" though. I enjoy that!
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Sometimes we just don't stop and think that we have MUCH to be thankful for. My challenge to you today, is to actually pause for a few moments and survey your "list" of gifts. In fact, that's a good exercise for all of us...everyday. Thanks-LIVING...but God is so good to us!
Have a great day, and God bless!
Pastor Mike / The Open Word
