The Best Way to Become More Thankful...

Wishing you a day filled with thankfulness-revelations!

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,

who does not change like shifting shadows.

In light of so much suffering and loss recently,

suddenly potato salad fixings for a belated birthday supper tonight

seem sacred, the ground beneath my feet, holy!

The best way to become more tuned to gifts we else might overlook

Is to have them withheld a bit; how dearer then the thing we took

For granted. How purer the joy we often gave no second glance

Until means we could not control reminded us of gifts God grants

The best way to become more glad and grateful for the gift in hand

Is to suffer the loss of it to gain a better understand-

-ing of love’s meeker thankfulness for gifts we did not recognize

Until God’s higher thoughts and ways took heedless postures by surprise

The best way to become more sympathetic and more humbly kind

Is not from fortune’s pedestals, but in the reeling, hurting grind

Of heartache’s holy ground, where mingled prayers and tears and groans implore

To waken us to gifts that we had not given enough thanks for

© Janet Martin

Someone reminded me of this verse recently...

a treasure to cherish as we trust in the Giver of every good and perfect gift!

Eph.3:20-21

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably/exceedingly more 

than all we ask or imagine,

 according to His power that is at work within us,

 21to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

 throughout all generations, forever and ever. 

Amen.