How Shall I Thank You?

I shall thank You by living gratefully every day of my life. I will train my soul in gratitude by consciously beginning each day with an expression of appreciation for the gift you give in the sunrise. I will return often to the rhythm of thanksgiving by taking advantage of the opportunities each day provides to pause and  give thanks for the beauty that shouts and whispers “Glory”; for the people through whom You love me; for the laughter of children who know secrets I have forgotten; for the gentle signs of your presence in the wind dancing with the blushing leaves; for the chaos of color in fall flowers and falling leaves; and for so much more – everyday miracles.

I shall thank You by enjoying as much of the life you have graced me with as I can, not letting it disappear without notice in the frenzy of my busy-ness. I will choose to work hard when I am working, play with abandon and trust when I am praying, and worship with all of my being in all that I do. I will tune my heart to the underlying anthem, “To God be the Glory.”

I shall thank You by valuing the people who come my way and seeking to see You in them – even the prickly ones. I recognize that not all of my enemies are Your enemies, so I will seek to recognize which is which and, until discernment instructs otherwise, to receive and treat all persons with the dignity and respect I would give to Jesus were I to recognize Him in the disguise of the person in front of me. I will not allow myself the deadly luxury of hating anyone so much as it is in my power and will seek to learn all that I can from those pieces of iron that come hurtling my way in the course of life.

I shall thank You by recognizing and laughing at my vain attempts to control the uncontrollable, to manage the unmanageable, to fix the unfixable, and to corral the uncorralable! I will let You be God and will happily take my place as one of your humble servants and subjects.

I shall thank You by not giving in to the spirit of cynicism which come so naturally to me. Anyone can criticize, so I will leave that, as much as I can, to them. I will give my energies to encouragement and uplift and edification – which seem to me to be more reflective of Your character than mine. So help me, God.

I shall thank You by saying and living “Thank You” for all of my life.