Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
When my children are very young, teaching them to say "thank you" is a much more difficult task than I ever would have imagined.
They are given a toy, a treat, a compliment.
Silence.
"What do you say?" I remind them.
"Thank you," they correctly respond.
I shake my head, wondering when the day will come when they will spontaneously thank someone without me having to prompt them.
That day, of course, finally arrives, but not without lengthy training.
And, while saying "thank you" is the polite thing to do, more importantly, it's the right thing to do.
Because, it paves the way for a life lived with an attitude of gratitude in all things. A positive, powerful attitude. Knowing that any gesture of kindness, no matter how small, should never be taken for granted.
Being appreciative for the generosity of others.
And, in turn, learning to be kind and generous at every opportunity.
Grateful.
With every breath we take.
In good times and bad. In joy and in sorrow.
Thanking the Lord for every sweet blessing. Thanking Him for being there with us in times of trial. Of pain. Of suffering.
Grateful . . .
For everything.
~
Do you have a gratitude attitude?
Will you pray with me?
Today, Father, we simply want to thank You for everything You have so generously given to us. Let us cultivate a gratitude attitude in all times and in all places. Help us enhance the lives of others by sharing our positive, powerful, thankful attitudes with them. Amen.
Readings
Psalms 30, 32 or 42, 43
Exodus 25:1-22
Colossians 3:1-17
Matthew 4:18-25
Sometimes but, I always try to be as kind and polite as possible in everything that I do.
ReplyDelete: )
Thank you for stopping by, Joseph!
DeleteI'm glad you make the effort to be kind and polite to others. I goes a long way, believe me!
Blessings to you!
After being here in malaysia.. I have learnt and see the word 'Thank you' in a very different light.Thank you is such a beautiful word and the way it is said here ...is right hand to the heart and a gentle bow to say Hello or Thank you. When you give something or accept it is done with two hands.
ReplyDeleteThese fine details give meaning and value..
Thanks so much for coming by today, Savira!
DeleteOh, I love this custom you describe here - placing the right hand over the heart as if you are truly giving it to another and giving/accepting with both hands to reflect complete generosity. Absolutely beautiful, indeed!
May your time in Malaysia continue to be blessed, my friend!
Hi Martha, such powerful words and what a difference they make when you say them. I always make a point of saying thank you but I guess I could be saying it a lot more :) Have a blessed weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by, Nelieta!
DeleteYes, they are such simple, yet powerful words. We can't say them enough! :)
Hope your weekend is blessed, too!
I try my best to always give it when I should or feel to. It is important I think.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by today, RoseAnn!
DeleteYes, it is so important to give thanks and have a thankful attitude in life.
Blessings to you!
I've been feeling extra thankful lately for the little things. I'm sure I could still say thank you more often though. Great post.
ReplyDeleteThat's good news, Rachel! Being thankful for the little things makes us especially thankful for those big blessings.
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings to you!
I agree with you that teaching them Gratitude, asking them to say thank you is such an important lesson, and thanks God, I don't really have a problem with them.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for coming by today, Nikky!
DeleteIt is crucial to teach children to be thankful. So glad my two finally "got it". LOL!
Blessings to you!
Dear Martha,
ReplyDeleteThank you for all that you are!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Linda, you are such a dear! Thank you!
DeleteBlessings always!
Oooo...it's one of the first words we learn as kids and yet it's not uttered spontaneously even throughout the years :P
ReplyDeleteI find the same thing with my nieces and the children I spend my time with...they find it awkward to say 'thank you' for the simplest things and blessings that come their way...
Well, I guess, it has to begin with me ;) and so I pray with you.
I am very grateful to God, to you and to all of the blessings I receive every second of the day ;)
Thanks so much for visiting, Melissa!
DeleteIt still amazes me how long it takes for us to learn to say these simple words and understand how important gratitude is in living a full and meaningful life.
Thanks so much for praying with me and keep working on your nieces and the other children!
Blessings!
Anne Lamott said that the two most common prayers are "Help me, help me, help me," and "Thank you, thank you, thank you." I think if we pray more of the second one, we won't need the first one so much! Are you familiar with Anne Voscamp's book 1000 Gifts? I bet you would like it. One of the 10 Steps on my blog is Develop an Attitude of Gratitude. I think sometimes it is the most important of all.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of gratitude, I really love your daily devotions here. That takes a lot of discipline and effort to put something out there every day. Thank you.
Thanks so much for coming by today, Galen!
DeleteI love these two most common prayers and, I'm with you - if we pray more of the second one, we won't need the first so desperately. I have not read 1000 Gifts, but will certainly add it to my list of "must reads" which is growing longer by the minute - lol!
Thank you, too, for your kind compliment. God gives me such great joy through doing this and I can't thank Him enough for setting me on this glorious journey.
Blessings to you!
Thank you is probably the most beautiful expression in the world. We all need to say it more and often to God first and then those who we care for and others who provide services for us. I can't begin to count the times when I see people forgetting to thank the waitress that brought them their meal. Yes, they are getting paid to do it, but it's still a nice gesture. We all want to feel valued and money is fabulous, but human kindness is priceless. Blessings Martha! Thank YOU for your wonderful devotions. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for coming by, Tameka!
DeleteOh, I love what you said here - "human kindness is priceless". It certainly is and it costs us nothing to show it to others. Quite the paradox, isn't it?
Blessings to you!