If you woke up today with only what you thanked God for yesterday, what would you have?
Me? I’d have nothing compare to what I have now. I’d be homeless and alone.
So, what is important enough to thank God for? Everything!
I have never and will never thank God enough. Can we even Do that? Of course not…
Do I thank God for everything thing, good and bad? I have thanked God for everything beautiful and crazy but I have thanked God for things I think are ugly like creepy bugs and scary animals because I know all things are made by God and have a purpose in our ecosystem and our universe. But isn’t it hard to be thankful for loss and heartbreak, for instance? Hmmm….
When my son was small, I took him to an authentic (I thought) Indian PowWow. After we walked around a bit and watched Indian craftsmanship, everyone was beckoned to “the circle”. The eldest Indian Chief proceeded to pray. In this prayer, he expressed his gratitude in a most interesting way for most interesting things.
This elder chief prayed to “Grandfather God” and each time he thanked him for something he called His name the same way.
Grandfather God, I think you for my heart attack.
Grandfather God, I thank you for my cancer.
And on, and on…
This was certainly new to me as I had never heard a prayer like that. Of course he wasn’t happy about having a heart attacking or cancer but he was thankful that his life was according to God’s will and that whatever he had to endure strengthened him.
The indian chief understood this writer when he said:
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4 NASB
