A Heart Of Gratitude

Penned by: Erlinda Mejia Olson

On Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 6:24AM PST

Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 7:51AM CST

PSALM 100:4-5 ~ "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations."

Keeping a heart of gratitude gives you joy of being able to appreciate all that you have and all that you are going through in life. It produces a heart that is always yielding to God—who is in control of everything. A heart that is grateful cultivates meaningful relationships, enhances ingenuity and consequential work results, empowers your physical well-being, and produces genuine abundance. It affirms your value as a person, and instantaneously eradicates feelings of anguish, pain, insufficiency, or regrets. When your heart delights in God—always, then all aspects of your life become unshakable. And more sufficiency is allowed to pour forth, producing a steadfast, unwavering sense of balance of joy, peace, and hope.

This coming Thanksgiving Day, and everyday that we live, let us be mindful of the courageous settlers of our country, who came to America for religious freedom. As they struggled to survive, they were not able to produce enough food to sustain themselves. When Native Americans graciously gave them information about what to plant and even shared food, our forefathers were able to continue. So, even at a time when they had little, they gave thanks to God for their lives and for new friends who shared.

Song: Give Thanks (With A Grateful Heart)

In honor to our Heavenly Father for all His blessings in my own life, I'd like to share with you these simple practices I have found useful, as God continues to cultivate in my own heart to live for Him in gratitude. There is no magical thing that will happen to you when you put these things mentioned below into practice, for you need the Holy Spirit of God to help you cultivate a heart of gratitude. But I can vouch that if you practice them sincerely, it will intensify and strengthen the flow of love and sufficiency in every area of your life even in most difficult times:

Begin Your Day in Thankfulness to God …

When you wake up each morning, bring about a heart of gratitude into your being. Meditate on God’s Word. In the stillness of the morning, offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for letting you live for another day, for providing you with a roof over your head, for the bed you slept in, for your body that will carry you through another day, the whisper of the wind which brings forth calmness, the birds singing outside your window. As the new day awaits you, no blessing is too small to count.

Appreciate Life by Slowing Down …

It does not take that much to stop—to take heed of those simple little things in life that God has brought in your paths, that you often overlook. Most of the time, we find ourselves in a hurry. Our breathing then becomes shallow and we are not fully in the moment. It is quite challenging to practice a heart of gratitude when we are feeling impatient, maxxed out, exasperated, or stressed. Rather than constantly racing with time—trying to beat every deadline, take a moment to decelerate, breathe in, and ponder on one person or a thing (home, job, life experience, safety, etc.) for whom you are grateful and express your appreciation.

End Your Day in Thankfulness to God …

Just as it is necessary to begin your day with a prayer of gratitude, it is equally important to end the day with a prayer of thanksgiving. Before you go to sleep, reflect on all the blessings you received from God throughout the day. Bear in mind that even "trials and challenges" can be "blessings in disguise". Think about all the people in your life who deserve gratitude and recognition. Reflecting on all the love you have given and you have received.

As we gather together with our family and friends on Thanksgiving Day, I encourage you to celebrate not only for the big moments so worthy of appreciation, but also for the little blessings that come your way. I am sure you could come up with a long list of blessings that you and your family have enjoyed. But don’t stop there! Continue to thank God for providing all of your needs each and everyday that you live.

Above all, consider what God has done in your life—for giving His Son, Jesus Christ, to save you from your sins. Nothing will create more sufficiency and real sense of fulfillment in life than to experience the love of God—that has flowed in this life He has given us, and continues to flow through it each and every day in Christ Jesus, our Lord  and Savior.

And though we celebrate Thanksgiving Day as a nation, but we should always be thankful to our God Almighty everyday!

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him." (Psalm 28:7)

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"(Philippians 4:4)

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving Celebration!

Song

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
By: Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1897

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,

And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings—wealth can never buy

Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all;

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.