Thankfulness

Have I told you the story about my father and the man who called him from Florida to say that he was so despondent he just wanted to commit suicide?

During the phone call, Dad asked this man to write down 10 things that he was thankful for and to call him back the next day. The man promised that he would do this. The next day when he called, they talked about these ten things and then Dad asked him to do it again. There was another promise made and another phone call. This man was in Florida on a business trip and he and Dad spoke every day. Every day, Dad asked him to write down ten things that he was thankful for.

This man returned home completely transformed. Such a simple assignment, but one that forced him to focus on things other than his fears and depression. His marriage was transformed, his relationship with his daughter, his relationship with his business associates and he found a relationship with Jesus Christ through this.

Can you write down ten things today that you are thankful for?

When we were kids, each year we knew at Thanksgiving we would be required to have 5 things that we were thankful for. Dad would put 5 kernels of some type of corn on our plates and we would go around the table naming something we were thankful for, then eating the corn. When he discovered candy corn, we were very happy kids!

Can you write down five things today that you are thankful for?

I think we spend too much time criticizing each other and finding fault with the world around us. We've become cynical and mean-spirited, we are afraid of each other and hide in our little padded lives. Can we break out of that to express gratitude every day?

What are ten things that you are thankful for. They don't have to be a big deal.

1. Max
2. Leica
3. Ichabod
4. Jim
5. Janet
6. Matthew
7. Emma
8. Jacob
9. Carol
10. God

See!! I'm thankful for my family and my animals. I'm thankful for my relationship with God. But 10 items on my gratitude list? That was easy. What about you?