Are You Thankful?

My dear husband posed a question to our family at the supper table yesterday.  "If tomorrow you woke up to only the things you told God you were thankful for today, what would you wake up to find?" That question slapped me right across the face. How dare he question my thankfulness! I had told God that day that I was thankful for the lady that moved out of in front of me because she was driving so slow.  AND,  I told God thank you for the air conditioner in my car finally cooling off the car because it is now 1000 degrees in South Texas. And OF COURSE I told God I was thankful for the food He provided because I pray before every meal.  You can see that I'm thankful.  So, when I woke up today if God would have provided what I told Him thanks for I would have one lady moved out of the front of me in my commute to work, an air conditioner in my car, and food.  UUUHHHH.  I want and need more than that.  I thought about that and realized, there are so many more reasons to be thankful!  How often do I thank God for those things?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to be thankful in all circumstances.  We are told we should be thankful.  It is not a suggestion, but a command. God wants us to be thankful.  I get that.  I want my kids to be thankful for what I have provided for them. Sometimes my kids take for granted all that I do for them as their momma. Sometimes I take for granted all that my Heavenly Father does for me as well.

I thought A LOT about thankfulness this morning.  I prayed all the way to the office today telling God what I was thankful for in my life.  I'm embarrassed to say that my prayers are usually filled with requests and not thanksgiving. But NOT today!  Here are a few things that I told God I was thankful for today:

• Salvation through Jesus Christ
• Health
• Healthy family and friends
• The beautiful earth He created
• A home where my family is safe
• A country where I can worship Jesus as Lord
• The green trees and animals
• My car to get me to work
• A job and the ability to pay my bills
• My husband's job
• A husband that loves God
• Healthy food to eat
• Doctors
• Schools
• The ability to have a Bible in my hand
• My senses
• And about 1000 other things (It's a 20 minute drive to the office! But I'm thankful for that today.)

What are you thankful for today?  Have you just spent some time with God telling him what  you are thankful for?  And here's the big questions:  If tomorrow you woke up to only the things you told God you were thankful for today, what would you wake up to find?

Lord, forgive us for our ungratefulness.  We are blessed beyond measure!  Help us to be thankful in all circumstances. You have made a path for us and have left us with an amazing inheritance as Your children.  Help us never to forget that you love us and that we have so many reasons to be thankful, even on the worst of days. - In Jesus' Name - Amen.

~ For a deeper study look up the word THANKFULNESS or THANKSGIVING in your Bible concordance or on biblegateway.com.  Record what verses you find associated with thankfulness and what God tells you through these verses.