I have not stopped giving...
Illustration
"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." Do we remember to give thanks for our friends, or do we complain about their shortcomings? Gratitude is based on an inner attitude toward life. Life has a dark side and a bright side, and we must decide which we are going to emphasize.
Two girls gather grapes. One is happy because they have found the grapes. The other is unhappy because the grapes have seeds. Two women examine a bush. One is unhappy because it has thorns. The other notices the roses and is overjoyed with their fragrance. We see what we train ourselves to see in this life. Our outlook is important and depends solely on us.
Do you remember the list Robinson Crusoe made after being washed up on the shores of a tropical island? "Cast on a desolate isle, but not drowned as the rest. Banished from mankind and civilization, but not starving. No clothes, but in a hot place where they are not needed. Without defense against harm, but no wild animals." Life has both negative and positive aspects. We sometimes dwell more on the negative. We need to remember that the words think and thank come from the same root. If we stop and think we may find ourselves becoming more thankful. "It is good to give thanks to the Lord" (Psalm 92:1). Instead of complaining because you don't get what you want, give thanks that you don't get what you deserve.
-- Lentz
Two girls gather grapes. One is happy because they have found the grapes. The other is unhappy because the grapes have seeds. Two women examine a bush. One is unhappy because it has thorns. The other notices the roses and is overjoyed with their fragrance. We see what we train ourselves to see in this life. Our outlook is important and depends solely on us.
Do you remember the list Robinson Crusoe made after being washed up on the shores of a tropical island? "Cast on a desolate isle, but not drowned as the rest. Banished from mankind and civilization, but not starving. No clothes, but in a hot place where they are not needed. Without defense against harm, but no wild animals." Life has both negative and positive aspects. We sometimes dwell more on the negative. We need to remember that the words think and thank come from the same root. If we stop and think we may find ourselves becoming more thankful. "It is good to give thanks to the Lord" (Psalm 92:1). Instead of complaining because you don't get what you want, give thanks that you don't get what you deserve.
-- Lentz
