Instead of a Gratitude List? A Thankfulness List!

matterofprayer blog post for Saturday, November 29, 2014

Instead of a Gratitude List? A Thankfulness List!

In this thankful season of the year, I am going to write a Thankfulness List. Of course, this will be an abbreviated list. Only the high points, or what I can think of to write today.

God, I am going to address this list to You. You are the main One who matters, anyhow. So, this will be my Attitude of Thankfulness List. (For today, at least.)

Dear God, I am thankful for:

• My family. I saw all four of my children yesterday, and I love all of them so much!
• My family’s health. My immediate family is in good health, as are my siblings. Amen!
• My husband. He is himself. A one of a kind guy. When You made him, God, You absolutely threw away the mold.
• My job (which I love). I love providing pastoral care, preaching, teaching, love, concern and leadership for the church and congregation I am privileged to pastor.
• My home. My condo is a warm, friendly, welcoming place. Thank You, God!
• Plenty of food to eat. And, additional food to give away to food pantries.
• A working car, computer, telephone, electricity in our home, and appliances to make our lives so much easier.
• Sufficient clothes and shoes to wear. Plus, good things to give away to resale shops.
• Wonderful music to listen to, books to read, and DVDs and movies to watch. In addition, the ability to make music, and write books and stories.
• My health, since I celebrate a sobering anniversary—I had a stroke as a teenager on November 30, almost forty years ago. Other than some slight issues with my speech, I have been in good health ever since, for which I praise God. Thank You, dear God!

So, yes. I can praise God for all of these things. Perhaps I will write another Thankfulness List sometime soon.

Let’s pray. Dear God, I have so many things I can thank You for. And, I know I missed a great deal of other things I could be thankful for. Please, help me–help us to see where we can have a giving heart and open hands towards others. I truly want to spread the thankfulness and gratitude around. Again, God, thank You for everything You give to us, every day. Amen.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Gratitude List

matterofprayer blog post for Saturday, January 4, 2014

Gratitude List

God, I haven’t intentionally written a gratitude list for some time. Several of my friends and acquaintances write gratitude lists on a regular basis. It’s definitely a worthwhile practice! However, I have never gotten into that particular habit.

Still, I have written them on occasion. A gratitude list came to my mind for some reason this evening. I will take advantage of my being at the computer. I’ll start writing my list.

I am grateful for good health—for me. Without that, life would be very different. I am grateful for my husband and family. My husband is a wonderful, interesting, intelligent, straight-forward person, and I thank God for him. My family—three lovely daughters and one good-looking son—is a joy and a blessing to me. (Even though the second two are still teens.) All are healthy, all inquisitive, all intelligent. I love my children and am so grateful for them.

I am grateful for friends, for acquaintances, even for people I see on an occasional basis but don’t know their names. These people are touchpoints and my foundation, and without them my life would be infinitely poorer. I am grateful for the varying places in my life, my community, my church, my workplace. These are all the scenery and backdrops for my life.

I am grateful for our snug condominium and the fascinating, diverse town where we live. I am grateful for the excellent public transportation system in our town (linking us to downtown Chicago—the big train is four blocks from our house, the Elevated train two blocks away, and a bus stops on the corner). I am grateful for employment—my husband full-time and me part-time. I am grateful for a working car and for money for gas and car expenses. I am grateful for computers (plural—we have several laptops).

I am grateful for food to eat, extra food in the cupboards, clothes and shoes to wear. I am grateful for enough. I am grateful for a piano (thank you, Grandpy!), for music—in general, and for the gift of being able to make and enjoy many different varieties of music. I am especially grateful for the endless inventive and creative nature God has given to humans so that they might compose music, write books and produce artwork of all kinds. I am grateful that I have the use of all of my limbs and my physical capabilities, and I show my gratitude by going to the gym on a regular basis. Sure, I have complaints. Gripes. Things may even be significantly wrong, or at least not to my liking. I wonder what God is doing, sometimes! But if I look at the big picture, my life is amazingly blessed.

Let’s pray. Thank You, God, for blessing me and my family with such abundance. Thank You for graciously providing for our needs, one day at a time. Forgive me for my gripes and complaints, even though You pour out your abundant blessings on us, new every morning. Thank You for the gift of Your grace and Your glory poured out upon us. I know I can never thank You enough, but I can try. Thank You again.

@chaplaineliza