The First Two Words

"The LORD is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
 My heart leaps for joy
   and I will give thanks to Him in song."
                             Psalm 28:7

One of those heartwarming moments as a parent is the first time you hear your toddler say "tank u" to someone without any prompting.  These two words are among the first that we teach our children, for we know that gratitude is indeed sweet music. "Magic words" we call them as they reflect humility and kindness and respect.  The other night I delighted in hearing echoes of "thank you" from a houseful of teenagers who had enjoyed Butterfinger ice cream and just a place to hang out together the night before senior year would begin. How beautiful to hear them graciously and freely offer their gratitude.  Indeed an endearing melody. 

How much more then does our Heavenly Father delight in our expressions of thankfulness? Countless passages in Scripture refer to giving thanks to the Lord and coming before Him with a heart of thanksgiving.  We are commanded to give thanks. Some days, of course, this is easier than others.  But always, we can give thanks--even from the valley.  We just have to look up and see Him.  I am learning to practice daily gratitude and discovering the fruit of joy.

I love to think about Jesus as the One Who was, Who is, and Who is to come.  He has always been and will always be.  He is the constant among the chaos, the Rock amid the restlessness.  As I've been reading and considering all that I have to be thankful for, I decided to make a plan: thank Him every day for something that was, something that is, and something that is to come.  Always I am most grateful for my relationship with Him, for the Father's pursuit of me to follow His Son.  This thank you is foremost every day--sometimes most especially on my "crying out" days-- for without this relationship life has no purpose, no hope.  And so I thank my Heavenly Father for Jesus, for His life and death and resurrection. This intimate relationship is the centerpiece for daily living. For this I am eternally grateful. 

But David reminds us in Psalm 143:5 to remember and meditate on all the works that the Lord has done for us and to consider what His hands have done.       
He molded and designed our families--how thankful I am for my years with Jim, the blessing of three children, and his powerful influence in shaping our boys.  That each of them has a personal relationship with their Heavenly Father as they grieve the loss of their dad. I am grateful for their summer work--doors that the Lord Himself opened--their experiences and growth. For a profession that I love, the many students that I've had the privilege to teach, for the part-time positions that enabled me to stay at home those years--the Lord's hand fashioned it all.  That's just a tiny sampling of remembrance of all He has done for me.

For today I thank Him for a new group of students--already dear to me after only a week.  They are courteous and respectful, and "thank you" seems to be a common phrase among them. I am thankful for the Lord's sustaining grace as I made it through Open House last night--the anniversary of the dreaded news.  I am grateful for the boys' good health  and their drive and commitment to the tasks before them--Austin with IMAX, Caleb as a senior at Alabama, and Hunter as a senior at Hoover.  For my church and family and compassionate friends and faithful prayer warriors I am oh, so thankful.  My cup runneth over.

So what is to come?  The only thing I know for certain is heaven--a glorious reunion one day with my beloved Jim!  But I thank the Lord for the hope I have in Him that I need not worry about tomorrow since He is already there.  I thank Him in advance for the daughters-in-law that I have been long praying for, and oh, yes, for those yet nameless precious grandchildren. For how He is going to work in and through these boys for His kingdom's glory I give thanks. So much more... 

Pondering the gifts makes thanksgiving flow naturally.  The Lord is good, and He has done great things.  He is absolutely worthy of our praise.  So as "tank u" was among the first two words we taught our children, now I am practicing "thank you" as the first two words when I open my eyes each morning.  Yes, even on the darkest days there is much to be thankful for.  In a word--JESUS. 



"In every thing give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
                                                                    1 Thessalonians 5:18