Colossians 3: 15-17
The waiter was getting nothing right. He took our order to the wrong table. Piece by piece, our order gradually showed up. One component was altogether wrong. It took three - or was it four? - tries to get him to bring butter to our table. He was going to refill our drinks with the wrong liquid, but we stopped him. And practically everything else the waiter did seemed out of sync.
His tip? I gave him my standard, which is above the average tip. I think the waiter was relieved to receive it, after all his mistakes.
At the same time, nine-year-old Artem was shivering in Kivsharivka, Ukraine in an apartment without heat during freezing temperatures. He and his grandmother sleep in an abandoned apartment next to theirs, which had all its windows shot out by the Russian military. They cook outdoors using wood gathered from ruined apartments. Their food spoils easily without electricity, so I'm guessing they don't have any butter.
With that sense of perspective of a bad dining experience vs. a bad living experience, let's talk about how gratitude is a choice we make to live a 7-day practical faith.
A quick aside to say that my Wednesday devotional blogs point to what God has done and is doing for us. My 7-day practical faith blogs focus on our response to God's action and how we embed his teachings in our daily lives and actions.
I have a new book coming out soon, called Live Like You're Loved. I guess I could have created a chapter: Live Like You're Grateful. If we are internally, truly grateful for what we have, then it becomes easier to express gratitude, even when it's not warranted by social standards.
We experience first world problems and get riled up: I can't eat this until I have butter! Or: My favorite grocery store doesn't stock everything on my list! But if we express gratitude even for the small things, our approach to life is different, and we live a thankful 7-day practical faith. Often when my wife and I bless our meal, we thank God for having easy access to food, to people who prepare or stock it, and for a comfortable home in which to eat it.
I recently read a story about a woman named Anna, who was known for her frequent compliments for good deeds. When her friend Evelyn asked Anna her secret, it was pretty simple: "If you see something, say something. Positive, that is." Evelyn started doing the same, showing gratitude and positivity in small things, making a small difference in the daily lives of others.
This is the light we Christians want to shine. Paul writes to the Colossians how Christ's peace and overall message can make us thankful when we hold those in our hearts:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Let us choose to be thankful and to have gratitude in our hearts as we go about this day!
Speaking of Live Like You're Loved, it will be available for pre-order soon at CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Also on the web site, you can register for my first webinar, "Five Ways to Get Closer to God during a Crisis," scheduled for Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Central time.