“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” – 2 Corinthians 4:15
My family, like so many, has a very active schedule. School, homework, cheerleading, pom team, cross country and church keep us very busy. My wife and I spend time coordinating our calendars so that we can get everyone to practice, games, youth group and children’s events on time. It takes effort.
At the end of each busy day, my daughters are tired. They are usually ready to get in the car, eat dinner and sleep. But before we ever get back in the car, we always ask them, “Did you tell your coach or teacher ‘thank you’?” Often, they will say thank you before we ask, but a gentle reminder is sometimes needed.
We want our children to have a grateful attitude in all that they do. It is not always easy. Sometimes practices are hard, and games don’t have the outcome that they desire. Even when things don’t turn out the way we had envisioned, there are still things to be grateful for in every situation of our lives.
Expressing our gratitude is a habit. Like any good habit, it takes time to develop this action as a natural routine in our lives. Each day, at the end of one of our girl’s events, we remind them to practice gratitude. It is a life-long habit that we want them to develop. It is just as important as good grades, or a strong performance on the stage.
How are you practicing the discipline of gratitude? Even as adults, we need to be intentional about developing our good habits. The past several weeks, St. Luke’s has been focusing on the practice of gratitude. I have been writing in my gratitude journal and it has been beneficial in helping me express my gratitude. When we express our gratitude, it reminds us of the blessings we have, even during our busy lives that demand so much from each of us. I hope today you will continue to develop your habit of gratitude. Say “Thank You” to someone. We have so much to be thankful for! Let us take a moment today and express our appreciation.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
