Thank You

Tadpoles, hats, Canada’s Wonderland, grandma’s cat and God. They all have something in common.

Oh wow, is this a trick question like certain letters or patterns in the word or someone who is connected to them or is it that they’re alive? No not that. Hmmmmm. Well, uh, I don’t see it.

These are all things that children said they were thankful for. 

We set up a prayer room during Vacation Bible School (VBS) and 100 children under 10 years old and their leaders went through and did some creative prayers to think about what they were thankful for. They thanked God with words, drawings, music and actions. It was all about thankfulness. 

Then they were invited to write down things they were thankful for. And they came up with hundreds of answers. Take the time to read this list, it can speak to your emotions, your mind, your story, your life and your soul.

And I find myself inspired every time I read it. When we talk about being thankful I often think  of the big things, the “important” things like my children, my wife, God, Jesus’ sacrifice for me, my home, the ability to work to make a living. Those are important and I am thankful for them. No question.

But i look at the list from the kids and they give me back those childrens’ eyes and the innocence that exclaims over seeing a tadpole or making music or noise on a piano (after 8 years of lessons as a children I remember almost nothing so noise is the best I can manage), and sandboxes because we could make roads and have adventures with toy cars or plastic soldiers. We could spend the whole day in the sand playing and creating. 

Okay the BEST was when I went to my cousin, Robert’s cottage as a child. Their whole yard was SAND!!!!!! It was the most epic play in the sand ever. The roof leaked, the TV got one channel badly, and we had none of our usual toys around. But it was fantastic. We played in the sand and created and imagined and it went on and on all day.

THAT WAS FUN AND I LOVED IT — I was thankful, without a doubt.

Now as I ask myself what am I thankful for  I come up with a whole new list. 

Smiles, laughter, a cup of tea, a good book, warm socks from the dryer, movie theatre popcorn, fall leaves, waves on a beach, puppies, gummy worms, EACH of my children, my wedding day,  my best friend my wife, God’s never ending creativity, how God provides for us, music, help, friends, sharing, taking walks and the list goes on and on. I can’t stop because there are so many things I am thankful for. I could outnumber the VBS kids’ list on my own.

…and the list goes on and on

What if I didn’t  stop? What if I thought all day long about what I’m thankful for. I bet I’d come up with new stuff all along. As I walk through the day more and more would come to mind. And I believe that the more I think of all I’m thankful for the more thankful to God I am.

…the more I think of all I’m thankful for the more thankful to God I am

How about that for a spiritual exercise? 

Start in the morning and throughout the day remind yourself to ask, “what am I thankful for?” and then thank God for it right away! 

Maybe even set an alarm every hour. Or if like me you have a fitness tracker that reminds you to get up and move around each hour then also each hour think of things you’re thankful for. AND thank God for them. Can’t forget that part. 

Thankfulness is commanded throughout the Bible and it makes a deep impact on our lives and our relationship with God. So, on this most obvious of weekends, let’s practice true thanksgiving.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2 (NLT)

…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 (NIV)