Day 33 Sunday March 22 – [S] Write someone a Thank You note
RO: Jesus had to die because that is what the Father planned. This is how God was going to redeem us and restore us in relationship with Himself. He sent Himself here in the form of a Son to take on the weight of sin and the punishment for sin and to die, lay down His life, so that we can be healed. // He had to die to save us.
Jeremiah 31: 31-34
I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. // All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD
Hebrews 5: 7-9
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered
John 12: 20-33
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. – John 12: 26
I wrote someone a Thank You note on Tuesday. Not that I should feel “Thank you’ed” out but I kind of do? Yes, that’s accurate.
Be that lame or not (it is) – it is how I felt today and so I just couldn’t bring myself to writing a Thank You note. …Until 10pm when I forced myself to. (PS. I wrote that last sentence before actually doing it as a motivator to stop being so pathetic.)
Originally my reflection was going to be about what I wrote about (thanking the strawberry farmer and picker for delicious strawberries), but then I realized this:
God wants us to be thankful. He wants us to look around at His creation and appreciate it and remember that everything in the world is not here because of chance, but because He created it. How thankful we should feel for everything every day! How much beauty and wonder there is to be grateful for!
(Like Mr. T never said: “Be grateful for God is great, fool!”)
When we give thanks it should be heartfelt and genuine. We can’t force ourselves to be thankful when we don’t feel it, but what we can do is practice giving thanks. Be conscious of the beauty around you and remember where that beauty comes from – God. When we take the time to be conscious of what God has given us we give ourselves more opportunities to feel genuinely thankful. And when we practice feeling thanks we practice giving thanks and we become better at saying “Thank You” – not only to God but also to everyone around us. Spreading Thanks spreads Love and God is Love.
There are so many things to be thankful for! Yes, there are challenges. We can cite examples of things we aren’t thankful for. But if we turn those things and struggles over to God and still work to see the good things there is always something we can be thankful for.
Even if your time with God and remembering to be thankful is one sentence long (like saying “Thank you God for this beautiful day!” when you see the sunshine or a pretty snowfall or a fresh rain) that is still an encounter with God and you make God happy.
Let us go forth and be thankful. Thanks be to God!
Continue to Day 34
Give God Your Yes 