Whatever system works for you, recognize that all good things come from our Heavenly Father_Jackie Freeman quote for Begin Within: A Gratitude Series

“Momma, I didn’t know saying ‘Thank you’ could be so much fun!’”

Out of the mouth of babes. The day my eldest son turned five was filled with cake and ice cream, games, gifts, friends, and a goat–that’s what you get when you live on a farm!

At the end of the happy day, Jason and I sat down to prepare his thank you notes. The plan? Jason would press his thumb on an ink pad and scatter thumbprints on paper. Using magic markers, we turned them into caterpillars, turtles, fish, cats, and dogs. Then Jason dictated the message.

Years later, recalling his words about giving thanks, I asked myself how often I express sincere, heartfelt gratitude. Do I too often fall back on ‘likes’ or one-line comments on social media posts?

Gratitude Strengthens Relationships

I recently met Heidi Bender, author of A Modern Guide to Writing Thank-You Notes. One reviewer echoed my concerns: “Modern technology allows us to be impersonal and distant. Heidi’s book reminds us of the power of a simple written ‘thank you’ to strengthen our most important relationships.”

At the top of my list of Most Important Relationships is God. But how often do I sincerely thank Him for sending His Son to provide me and all other believers with eternal life? Not to mention thanking Him for everyday miracles: nurturing my garden, causing traffic lights to turn green on busy days, and sending songbirds to my window! God is omniscient, but I know He welcomes thankful words from His children, just as I welcomed Jason’s thanks.

God is omniscient, but I know He welcomes thankful words from His children, just as I welcomed Jason’s thanks_Jackie Freeman quote for Begin Within: A Gratitude Series

Jesus’ brother James reminds us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (1:17, NIV). And we have been showered with good gifts–some large and showy, others small and secret.

The Book of Psalms overflows with reminders to give God thanks. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name” (NIV).

Four chapters later, Psalm 104 lists just some of our many gifts: “wine that gladdens human hearts, oils that make [our] faces shine, and bread that sustains [our] hearts” (v. 15), “the trees of the Lord are well watered” (v. 16), “birds make their nests” (v. 17), high mountains “serve as a refuge” (v. 18), the moon “marks the seasons” and the sun “knows when to go down” (v. 19), we are given work (v.23), God’s creatures are created “in wisdom” (v. 23), and the sea is “vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number” (v. 25).

We can easily double or triple this list! So, why don’t we automatically and constantly give thanks to our God, “whose love endures forever,” as Psalms 136:1 reminds us?

Cultivating An Attitude of Gratitude

Well, granted, we all have dark days, but the apostle Paul still urges: “Give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God.” (I Thessalonians 5:18, NIV). In Philippians 4:6, he reminds us that we needn’t “be anxious about anything [because] in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving [ we can– and should] present our requests to God” (NIV, underlining mine). “Whatever [we] do, whether in word or deed,” Paul decrees, “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17, NIV).

Why?

Because “the Lord . . . is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:29, NIV).

It’s never too late–and it’s absolutely necessary to our relationships–to cultivate the attitude of gratitude, focusing on our blessings, not our deficiencies. Several of my friends keep lists of blessings in their journals. One lists them on slips of paper and keeps them in a fancy jar as a visible reminder. Whatever system works for you, recognize that all good things come from our Heavenly Father.

As you know, I can find a song for every occasion. Why not sing along with me?

Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul.

Thank You, Lord, for making me whole.

Thank You, Lord, for giving to me

Thy great salvation so rich and so free.
Seth and Bessie Sykes

Gratitude is indeed an attitude of the heart. Let’s cultivate it as vigorously as any farmer cultivates his crops!

Meet Jackie Freeman

Meet Begin Within feature writer, Jackie Freeman--author, educator, speaker, Bible teacher, and vocalist who encourages women to walk confidently in the center of God’s will, no matter the season of their lives.

Jackie Freeman is an educator, speaker, Bible teacher, and vocalist. After losing her husband and parents, she added writing to her repertoire to deal with her losses, grief, and unexpected new life.

Her devotional, Keep a Song in Your Heart, shares the wisdom embedded in the gospel songs she performed with her mother. Her children’s book, I’m Okay, Momma!, showcases the ways her mother modeled the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). An avid pickleball enthusiast, Jackie wrote Bend Your Knees, Louise! as a multi-age introduction to America’s fastest-growing sport.

Warmed by the author’s wisdom, kindness, and scriptural knowledge, her blog, newsletter, website, and Facebook posts address topics ranging from grief and loss to caregiving, family values, antics on an old Michigan farm, and contemporary women’s concerns.

Jackie’s goal is to encourage women to walk confidently in the center of God’s will, no matter the season of their lives. She holds fast to God’s promises to complete the good works He began long ago and aims to help others do the same.

Where to find her . . .

Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.

If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.

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If you long for deep, meaningful relationships, this is for you!

Creating Ripples

If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.