Casandra Martin

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

She brushed back a tendril of hair from her face. She had been working…hard. This sweet lady cleans our church building, a job done quietly and largely unnoticed. The discussion of the moment was about how to get chewing gum (or I should say chewed gum) out of carpeting. Listening to the discussion swirling around her, she admitted that practice and necessity had guided her into finally finding a solution to the sticky mess.

We all nodded as we paused to think about how much gum she coaxes out of the carpeting each week. But it was her next sentence that truly humbled me. “Gum doesn’t bother me,” she said. “It means there are children in the pews learning about Jesus.”

There, in a nutshell (or should I say a gum wrapper?), is the essence giving thanks. When we choose to give thanks, we make the decision to notice, to pay attention, and to respond to the presence of God in our days. In every circumstance, we have the choice to either count our blessings or catalog our burdens. We can either see every moment as an opportunity to interact with God or keep an updated record of all that has gone wrong in our day. The path we choose has the power to shape our hearts in eternal ways.

My Jesus Resolution today is to carry a gum wrapper in my pocket. I am going to let it remind me that God is at work all around me. Giving thanks is an invitation to open my eyes and enjoy His presence. It is easy to let frustration, annoyances, griping, and worry set the agenda and focus of my heart. Instead of grumbling, I am going to rehearse the goodness of God. I want to count His fingerprints on my day, and let gratitude open my eyes to what is truly important.