Thankfulness

This morning my wife informed me that a red T-shirt I owned had run its course and was good for nothing other than being disposed of.

That’s one of the reasons why I love my wife, she’ll be aware of things before me to stop me going way beyond the time. I am really like that.

Yet you would have gathered, this left me a T-Shirt poorer in my wardrobe.

Later on I attended a comedy gig featuring one of my dearest friends. He did an outstanding set getting great laughs for some great set-ups as well as cracking audience engagement. It was a pleasure to see him in action. Afterwards, as I got to have a few words with him while he was selling his merchandise and signing autographs, he gave me a gift. And that gift, as I’m sure you should be able to guess from the set up was none other than a red T-Shirt.

It was as if God allowed me to get rid of the old, because He new was coming.

Episodes like that lead me to develop a state of being thankful. By thankful I do mean thank-full. Reflecting on the word, it occurred to me that you can’t really be very thankful or a little thankful. You are either thankful or you’re not. By the very term you’re full of thanks or somewhat lacking – there’s no room for the ‘very’ or the ‘little’.

It got me reflecting on how my attitude is probably closer to being thank-some. In as much as I enjoying giving thanks, it may not always be something that is the first response to the blessings of God. Some brilliant things happen to me that I take for granted or completely ignore. In missing out on an opportunity to live the thankful life, I am the only one impoverished by it. Yet I recognise when I do acknowledge the blessings whether obvious or less so, my entire approach to life changes. I feel a lot more free to see the opportunities in everything. I believe that as I receive His blessings, so others likewise are able to be blessed.

All that from the state of thankfulness.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden