November 4, 2013
Good Morning!
Today, a very talented, wonderful friend of mine, Cammy Tidwell, is sharing some thoughts about gratitude with us. She is a regular blogger and bible study teacher at Words of Worth , click here to learn more about her ministry.
Hey!
I’m glad you’re here and I’m glad to be here! When Mimi asked me to guest post, I started thinking about how long she and I have been friends. To be honest, I can’t remember – but I can tell you, we bonded over two definitive areas of the southern way of life: Bible study and going to lunch! We’ve sat side by side at the Lord’s table and quite a few restaurant tables through the years.
Something else I’ve done through the years is move! If I counted correctly, over the past 26 years of marriage to my “honey-do”, we have lived in 2 duplexes, 2 apartments, one rental house, and 6 other houses – two of which we built and one that we renovated. Whew! Recently, we relocated back to our beloved South from our seven years spent above the Mason Dixon line in Pennsylvania. Here’s what I’ve noticed about how we get settled into a new place once we move — We do it in stops and starts like a child’s growth spurts.
On our recent move, we arranged the furniture and then… nothing. No wall art or decoration, just functional living. Another day, I organized my kitchen and then… nothing. A couple of weeks ago, in a mad burst of energy, I, finally, put bedding in the master bedroom and then… nothing. One recent Monday morning, with tool bag in hand, the man of the house said, “Where do you want all this stuff to hang?” Right after that, we rearranged the guest bedroom and re-boxed some items that didn’t make the cut and then… nothing. (That’s where we are now.)
And it hit me. My “attitude of gratitude” is just like my activity around the house. Stops and starts, bits and pieces, one day wildly productive and the next, a grumbling mess. Of course, God was getting my heart ready for His word because then, I read this:
“Therefore since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us…”
If you don’t know the answer, what would your guess be? Let us do what?”
Answer: “Let us show gratitude…” (Hebrews 12:28 NASB)
Gratitude! For a kingdom that cannot be shaken! That seems too easy – but is it? Someone gives me something and I am grateful. But, I am often grateful in direct proportion to the gift. I, also, don’t usually keep thanking them for it.
What kind of gratitude should be shown for “a kingdom that cannot be shaken”? The ongoing kind that is “acceptable service” and is accompanied by reverence and awe.
Being grateful is my job for God. It’s how I serve Him. Unlike how I settle into a new house on this earth (which can and will be shaken), I need to show Him honor and reverence by being thankful all the time, not in spurts here and there.
This prompted me to begin keeping a “grateful list” again. Here are a few of mine from the last couple of weeks:
* Blue jeans that fit my preteen daughter
* Wedding dress shopping with my future daughter in law
* Confession that leads to forgiveness
* Lavish answers to prayer
* Safe travels
* New growth
* Laughter
Everyday now, I write down one thing I am aware of that only God can give and I stop for a moment because then… I am grateful.
Cammy
