November 25 ~ Psalm 107:1
Say thank you to the Lord for being so good, for always being so loving and kind.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning, I went to Timothy’s elementary school to watch the kindergarten “Pow-wow Parade”. Approximately 100 kindergarten students and their teachers and helpers paraded through the school’s hallways in full “Indian” regalia. The children wore brown paper “ponchos” that they had decorated, along with headbands lined in paper “feathers”. Each child had selected an Indian name, which was written across the front of their poncho. Timothy chose “Black Horse”! The children shook noise makers and whooped and hollered as they rustled past us. The event was over in a matter of minutes, but the memories will last for years to come.
Timothy and his siblings have been so excited about Thanksgiving Day. They have been learning about the holiday and its traditions. Even at 2 years old, Nathan has made hats in his pre-school class to depict pilgrims, Indians, and a turkey. Timothy gave us a long “lesson” about Indians and pilgrims as we drove home from church on Sunday.
And speaking of church…the children are learning valuable lessons there, also. They are loved and nurtured as they learn about Jesus and how much HE loves them. Each Sunday when we get back into the car, I ask them, “What did you learn today?” Sometimes, they will recite the Bible verse (or a form of it) or the “phrase of the day” – like “God loves us all the time.” Other times, Zola will shout “Jesus!” in response to my inquiry! It’s all good!
I am thankful for all of the people who love and nurture children. I am grateful that God has placed it on the hearts of many to spend time with little ones…to tell them about His love for them…and to spend each weekday teaching them to read, write, sing, play and discover countless wonders. As a former kindergarten/first grade teacher, I am especially appreciative of the efforts of those who exercise patience with children as they rattle in paper “Indian ponchos” and headdresses…who understand the importance of these experiences – and including family members in the celebration. I am grateful for those who truly care about the mental, physical, and spiritual growth and development of young people.
So today, I thank God for being so good to me and to these precious children…for being so loving and kind. I thank Him for school - and for Sunday school - and the nurture that each of our children receives there. I see His orchestration in these blessings, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. What are you especially thankful for today?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Timothy and Zola have been staying with us for the better part of 4 days and three nights, while their mother has been under the weather. One night as we settled into bed, I said to Timothy, “Let’s say our prayers. What should we say to God?” Timothy instantly replied, “Let’s thank God for EVERYTHING!” And so we did. We sang our hearts out to God as we thanked Him for Timothy and Zola… their parents, their brother Nathan, their grandparents and great-grandparents and others – including Timothy’s teachers and friends at his new pre-K. Then Timothy thanked God for his Uncle Greg, Aunt Debbie, Lucy and Mabel (the cats), and he said, “God, thank you for letting me stay with Uncle Greg and Aunt Debbie. Thank you for letting me get to come here and play with my toys and see all my friends (his dinosaurs).” It doesn’t get much sweeter than that!
Here’s the thing…Greg and I never had children of our own. Somehow God saw fit to involve us quite actively in the lives of these three little ones… our great-nephews and niece. We do not take this lightly. Our roles in their lives are in direct response to the Master, Jesus… and He guides us every step of the way. I don’t know why God thought we would be suitable for this… but I’ve learned not to question His plans too much. I reminded myself today as Timothy and I headed to Wal-Mart for groceries (while Zola napped at home under Uncle Greg’s careful watch) that there are things “in the works” here that we cannot see and may never understand. Best-selling author Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) wrote in My Utmost for His Highest for September 6th… “A river reaches places which its source never knows.” Chambers explained that Jesus’ “rivers of living water” will flow from us and bless others even beyond any visible effects we may ever realize. He concluded… “God rarely allows a person to see how great a blessing he is to others.”
There are two profound thoughts here… 1) that we, like rivers, reach places beyond what we will ever know; and 2) that God rarely allows us to see the full impact of what we do in His name. Sit and think about these thoughts for a while. Let them really resonate with your heart. Consider the responsibility of each choice we make… in light of the ripple/river effect that it has – on us and on others. Do you see how important it becomes that we cultivate the peace of Christ in our heart, an attitude of thankfulness, and a heart for the message of Jesus? Can you even begin to appreciate the potential impact that every detail of our lives – words, actions, reactions, and gestures great and small – can have on others… and on the Kingdom of Heaven? When you choose to go one direction… and God chooses to send you another… what do you do? How you answer this makes all the difference.
Are you making wise choices? Are you serving God obediently and with your whole heart? Have you cultivated an attitude of thankfulness to God in all things and for all outcomes – both those you see and those you don’t? Are God’s “rivers of living water” flowing from you? Are you offering God the opportunity bless others through you? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
In his book, A Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning to Say Thank You Changed My Life, author John Kralik describes how his life was tumbling in a free-fall of despair and destitution. He was losing clients in his law practice – and those he had were not paying their bills. His relationships were falling apart. He had unhealthy habits – and poor physical health as a result. While walking one evening, Kralik was struck by the thought, “What if I focused on the things in my life for which I am thankful… and grateful? What if I concentrated on the things I have instead of what I lack?”
To say this was a “game changer” for Kralik would be putting it mildly. He began to find at least one person per day to thank. Some days, it was easy…a friend did something nice for him, and he wrote a little note of thanks. Other days, finding something – or someone – to whom he could express gratitude was a little harder. He began to really stretch… to thank clients for their business- even when they had not paid their bill. He began to leave notes with the barrista at the coffee house and the cashiers at stores where he shopped. He thanked old college professors for that extra little bit of encouragement offered to him… and his doctor for suggesting he stop smoking and drop a few pounds! After several weeks of writing thank-you notes, Kralik vowed to continue this for an entire year. He actually wrote notes of gratitude every day for the next two years or better!
John Kralik discovered something amazing. His life turned around in countless ways. His health and physical well-being improved… his relationships with family, friends, and business associates got better… he got back on his feet financially. But more importantly, Kralik found a peace like he had never experienced.
I am not saying that we should start writing a thank-you note to someone every day…although I believe such a project could be life-changing. I am suggesting that we look at Colossians 3:15-17 and integrate some of Paul’s admonitions into our daily living. We could all cultivate a little more thankfulness. We could give the message of Jesus Christ more room in our lives… we could do a better job of loving Christ with our whole heart and loving others as He loves us. We could concentrate more on being grateful for God’s gifts and less on complaining about what we lack or what troubles or irritates us.
I know more than one person who keeps a “gratitude journal.” Each day, they write down at least one thing for which they are grateful. I have noticed that these people seem to be a little more positive and cheerful than most folks. For many of us, practicing gratitude and a positive outlook are habits that we have let lapse. The exercise of writing down things for which we are thankful could help us get back on track. If you want to take it a step further and send someone a note every day to express thanks or gratitude… go for it!
I happen to like hand-written notes. They show an added effort to take pen to paper, find a stamp, and deliver (or mail) the message. But you don’t have to hand-write a note for this to work. I know one person who messages one “friend” per day on Facebook to tell him/her why she is glad this person is in her life. Wouldn’t you like to get an e-mail message or a text from someone who says, “I’m grateful for you. Thank you for XYZ”?
The point is that by making a concerted effort to be more thankful or grateful… to share the message of Christ in our daily living and “sing your heart out for God” - your own heart changes. You lose the garbage and the baggage…and gain peace and joy. You live more fully in Jesus. Isn’t that what we’re after?
What are you waiting for? Think about who should receive your first message of gratitude and/or thanks. Start with Jesus! Keep a list of the people you thank… and look at it from time to time to see just how blessed you truly are. And thank YOU for reading these daily devotionals and sharing your love of Christ with me in this manner. I pray that you are truly blessed by His word and the insights I offer… and I am grateful for you and your friendship. Now go thank somebody in Jesus’ name… and bless their socks off (and yours) in the bargain!
©2013 Debbie Robus
