Pam Otto, GFC Lutz
Thanksgiving. Gratitude. Thankfulness. The season is here.
Have you slowed down yet or taken a few minutes to reflect on the things that you’re grateful for this past year?
As we begin preparing for Thanksgiving this next week, and then Christmas around the corner, let’s consider pausing a bit and maybe be a little more intentional with focusing on all we have to be grateful for.
“What does “Gratitude” mean anyway?
I recently had the joy of asking a few little friends, ages 3-7, what Gratitude meant to them…I think you’ll enjoy their honest thoughts:
How would you answer this question? What does Gratitude mean to you?
A simple definition of Gratitude is: A positive state of being; A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for someone or something.
God invites us to take time to pause, remember, and reflect on His goodness in our lives.
1 Samuel 12:24 says, “Trust the Lord and sincerely worship him; think of all the tremendous things he has done for you.”
This verse encourages us to consider the great things God has done in each of our lives. When we do this, it honors God and is a form of our worship as we put Him in His rightful place.
Our gratitude connects us more deeply to God as we are reminded of his consistent faithfulness in our lives.
Besides our closer connection to God, some further benefits of practicing Gratitude are:
Improves health
Increases energy
Elevates your mood
Keeps you present
Increases patience
Improves relationships
Increases resiliency
Builds character
This Thanksgiving season, let’s be mindful and carve out time in our holiday schedule to follow through with 1 Samuel 12:24 and be filled with Gratitude, thinking of all the tremendous things He has done for us!
Maybe we can be like Lucas, and be thankful that someone shared their last cookie. 😉
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