Being Thankful - Day Thirty

On this last day of the month of gratitude, I want to think about the very act of being grateful.

A couple of weeks ago, I was rocking the little squirt to sleep (ahhh, the benefits of being the "baby"), and I felt such gratitude for having this child, all my children, in my life.  I did nothing right so as to deserve them.  I am not the "world's best mom" by any means.  Yet, here I am with the blessing of three children.  And then, it occurred to me that the very act of being grateful for something like this points directly to a Creator.

If you're walking down the street, and you accidentally drop your keys out of your purse and a kind stranger picks them up and hands them back to you, it's normal to feel gratitude towards that particular person for doing a kind deed.

But, for the really huge things like family, children, etc, to whom does that gratitude go?  If you are holding a child or a grandchild and you feel so thankful to have them, why are you thankful?  Don't dismiss it as simple happiness.  You know it's more than that.  You can't simply be grateful to "the universe", because you are still implying that there is a life force bigger than you that had a part in this life you are holding.  As Psalm 19:1 expresses, the very heavens speak to a Creator.  The very earth and its inhabitants speak to a Creator.  The gratitude or thankfulness or the feeling of being overwhelmed with gifts speaks to a Creator.  Because if there wasn't a Creator to whom your gratitude was due, then you would simply care for your child as an animal cares for its child.  By instinct.  Without long-lasting emotion.  Dogs don't cry when they see their puppy.  They take it as a matter of fact, then go about licking the puppy clean.  But, we cry from the overwhelming emotion of holding this gift.  Why?  Because our very souls recognize our Creator, even if our minds refuse to acknowledge Him.

Sometimes, taking the first step of saying "yes, I acknowledge the absolute fact that there must be a Creator.  This world is here by Intelligent Design" is the hardest for some people.  But as my pastor always says, "it's amazing what unbelievers have to believe to be an unbeliever".  Getting yourself out of your own way and giving your gratitude to its proper Recipient creates a sense of peace in your heart, and it will allow you to feel the work that the Holy Spirit has already begun to do in you.

Gratitude itself is not just due to the Lord, but it is a gift from Him at the very same time.  ALL good things are of the Lord.  Praise isn't due to a person for being good; give thanks to God for the goodness He has put in that person.  And when you are sitting alone with your thoughts and feeling thankful for some good thing in your life, recognize the Creator in that.

Thank you, Father, for this past month of focusing on the gifts you've given to me and to my family.  Thank you for the good things that others have done for us and through us.  Today, Lord Jesus, I am thankful to You for all things!!!