Thankfulness

It's easy to grumble and complain throughout my day. I wish the kids would quit fighting, I'm sick of doing laundry, the house is a mess again and the list goes on and on. This past spring I read a book called "Respectable Sins" by Jerry Bridges. In this book one of the sins he talks about is Unthankfulness. Have you ever thought of your unthankfulness as sin? I know I never did until I read this book. So everytime I am grumbling or complaining about the littlest detail in my life I am telling God that I am unthankful for that. In this book Jerry Bridges says:


The truth is, our whole lives should be lives of continual thanksgiving. Paul told his audience at Athens that "[God] himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:25). That means that every breath we draw is a gift from God. Everything we are and everything we have is a gift from Him.


He goes on later to say:


Most people who read this book acknowledge that everything comes from God, but how often do we stop to give thanks to Him? At the end of the workday in your profession or job, do you ever take time to say, "Thank You, heavenly Father, for giving me the skill, ability, and health to do my work today?" Do you ever physically or mentally go through your house, look at your furnishings and various items of home decoration, and say to God, "Everything in the house and the food in the cupboard and the car (or cars) in the driveway are gifts from You. Thank you for your gracious and generous provision"?


Through the Gratitude Community it has helped me to walk around my house as I do my daily chores or play with the kids and be thankful for the things around me or the things happening around me and to give thanks to God for these things. I know to do this I don't need to post them on my blog, but I think it helps me to be accountable to continue to do this instead of just forgetting or slacking off. Here are some of the things I was thankful for the last week:


46~ children retelling Bible stories they heard at VBS


47~ VBS


48~ hearing 75 kids sing praises to God


49~ smell of fresh cut grass


50~ clean feet (they were really dirty after running through that freshly cut grass!)


51~ beautiful flowers

52~ clean sheets


53~ a good conversation


54~ pork roast and mashed potatoes


55~ a contest won- a prize in the mail


56~ rain


57~ sunshine


58~ birthdays celebrated


59~ vehicles that keep going


60~ watching kids wrestle with their dad