In every generation the wisest people have known that the surest way to change one’s quality of life is to change the way we think. Our ability to change our outer environment may be limited, but the way it affects us depends on the way we think. That’s why the Bible constantly talks about thanksgiving – developing an attitude of gratitude.
Courtland Sayers expressed it beautifully in this poem:
Five thousand breathless dawns all new;
five thousand flowers fresh in dew.
Five thousand sunsets wrapped in gold;
one million snowflakes served ice cold.
Five quiet friends, one baby’s love;
one white sea with clouds above.
One June night in a fragrant wood,
one heart that loved and understood.
I wondered when I waked that day –
in God’s name–how could I ever pay.
The practice of thanksgiving is our most transforming resource.