Short and sweet thought for the week…
The word practice means to do something repeatedly in order to improve one’s proficiency. Most of us could use a little practice in being appreciative. We tend to think in terms of what we don’t have, instead of being thankful for what we do have.
There’s an old legend that says God sent two angels with baskets to earth to gather the prayers of humans. The first angel was to fill a basket with the requests, wants, and desires of people. The other was to gather prayers of thanksgiving. When they returned to God, one angel’s basket was heaped high, running over with the countless petitions of men and women. The other angel had searched diligently but alas, returned with an almost empty basket.
Sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate what we have so readily available such as decent food to eat, clean water to drink, shelter from storms, and warm clothing to wear in the winter. These are basic blessings that many in the world live without. We can practice appreciation by thanking God continuously for every blessing because, indeed, all blessings come from Him (James 1:17).
Practicing appreciation means we look for something to be grateful for even in dire circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We aren’t necessarily thankful for each trial, but we can be thankful God is always with us. Problems can be opportunities to grow in deeper relationship with Him. Thankfulness can help us rise us above our circumstances.
We can practice appreciation by recognizing little things that come our way that lift our spirits. Today, did we behold sunshine, flowers, a smile from someone, a child’s laughter, a phone call from a friend, an unexpected note of encouragement, or find a good parking space? Give thanks!
The Bible tells us those who aren’t thankful are foolish (Romans 1:21). When angels in disguise come to fill their baskets at our doors, let’s be sure that one basket does not outweigh the other in our lives. One of the sweetest prayers we can offer God is an appreciative, “Thank You Lord!”
“It is good to give thanks unto the Lord.” ~Psalm 92:1
