"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Colossians 3:17
Give.Thanks.
The lesson of 'giving thanks' is probably one of my favorites to try to teach my sons. There are so many things in this life to be thankful for. There are so many things that are overlooked & taken for granted. There are so many things that happen that feel bad & feel unworthy of giving thanks.
It has taken me my lifetime to learn to practice giving thanks. After reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, I was challenged to practice being thankful for all the little moments, & by giving them a name, I could count them as a gift from the Lord. I am so grateful for seeing so much more in my daily life, the good gifts I've been given. I know that the days it all 'goes wrong' and tests my patience, are still days given by Him.
Maybe, I haven't practiced out loud enough yet with my kiddos, because they struggle to verbalize on their own what they are thankful for. They agree with me when I offer suggestions, but I am hoping this practice of 'naming' and saying thank you will encourage their own practice in the years to come.
I know I have missed opportunities when I fail to say thank you. As I have see the generosity of the Lord, as well as the generosity of others, I cannot express how much saying thank you now means to me. One funny side note: I have become a huge lover of 'thank you' notes. I hope I didn't skip too many in my youth, because I know that when I receive them, they mean something to me.
One of my most valuable treasures from my childhood & college days are the hand written cards my Grandma Honey used to send me in the mail, for no reason. To tell me she loved me & she was proud. Oh, how I love seeing her handwriting, and hearing her words over. What a lovely gift I was given - and I hope to replicate it one day.
Lord, please help me teach my sons to do more thank just to 'say thank you' when they receive. Help me to teach them what thanks is. Lord teach them what thanks feels like in their heart. How to feel your love in being thankful for what you give. Thank you for never giving up on me. Lord, continue to work on me, teaching me thanks. Amen.
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