Taking time to Think brings Thanks!

     Have you ever tried to be deliberately thankful and appreciative to all the people who make your life better? I have and it is hard to get done. We are so blessed that there are not enough hours in the day to thank God and all the folks around us who are a blessing. One thing for sure it will leave absolutely no time to think about anything you might otherwise want to complain about. I have read some place this great quote that has stuck with me for many years. “No action in my life has brought  greater progress than when I stopped taking things for granted that I should have been taking with gratitude”.
     No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks! I have been amazed by the response of so many really great people to being appreciated. You can tell it is new and unusual for them, and that should not be. People around Christians should know that they are appreciated. After all Christians should be the most appreciative people in the world. Have you ever noticed that the people who are not thankful for what they have, are the same people that will not be thankful for what they get. This is because ingratitude never has a destination.
     When our heart is open to appreciate and respond gratefully we open the door to a life more joyful. It is impossible to complain about a bad apple when celebrating the taste of the pie you made with the rest of the harvest. William Ward once said “There are three enemies of personal peace: regret over past mistakes, anxiety over tomorrow’s problems, and ingratitude for today’s blessing.”. Knowing that we are blessed is a very important reality check. If you feel that in your present situation you can’t praise God for what you have, then praise him for what you have escaped. I am blessed to not be a Christian in those countries controlled by ISIS where I would certainly be killed. Regardless of what place you call home, would you not rather be there than in the best hospital bed in the country?
     Why choose to become a person with a highly developed ability to be unhappy? Why look for the one thing that is not to your liking when there are thousands of things you could be admiring all around you. Choosing to direct your attention to those things that are admirable and praiseworthy is the prescription for peace set forth by God in Philippians chapter 4. There will never be an alibi for anyone who claims to be a Christian and practices the life of a fault finding critic. Count your blessings and you will never have time for anything else!