Thanks Living

It was Thanksgiving time. A missionary on a foreign field wanted to impress his church people with the importance of being grateful, even though many lived in dire poverty. So, he asked them to stand and tell something for which they were thankful.

One lady stood to her feet and said, “I’m thankful for my teeth.”

“Where is she going with this?” thought the missionary. She has only two teeth in her head, one on top and one on bottom.”

The national woman continued, “I’m thankful they meet.”

While this may be humorous in our affluent culture, the woman was right on target. We can always find something for which to be thankful.

If you have a roof over your head, food on your table and clothes on your back, you have MUCH to be thankful for every day. A friend of mine sometimes looks up while doing household chores and says, “Thank You Lord, for hot, running water.” Or, “Thank You Lord, for all these appliances in my kitchen.”

Nine years ago I was in a car accident which could have taken my life. The car I was driving went over an embankment and into a ravine 35 feet below. It hit a tree, flipped over and landed on its roof on a pile of boulders. You’d better believe I say often, “Thank You Lord, for giving me another day to live.”

Living on the edge gives a person a different perspective on entitlement. We brought nothing into this world and it’s certain we won’t be taking anything with us. So, what are we living for anyway?

If we can leave this world a better place than we found it, we can be thankful. If we can encourage others to strive for a better life and live prepared to meet God, we can be thankful.

Thankful living is an art. What better way to live than to keep a positive mindset, realize we deserve nothing, and appreciate what we have been given?

What about you? What are you thankful for? Add to the comments below.