11/29/2013

A Heart Transformed with Thanksgiving


At the beginning of yesterday's homeschooling get-together, our 'Thankfulness Tree' looked like this:


Bare.

It doesn't look too good, does it?



By the end of the day, this is what we had.



Yes, a few leaves of 'things for which I am thankful', and our tree is transformed. 

I couldn't but think our tree was a picture of our heart. How often our heart is empty, cold and barren. Would it not do us good at times like these to stop and fill our prayers with thanksgiving. If we added leaf after leaf of 'What I am Thankful For' to our prayers, would our hearts not soon blossom like the tree on our wall blossomed?

Let's try it. This coming week, let's set aside time to pray prayers of thanksgiving only. Let's do what the song suggested: 

Count your blessings, name them one by one. 
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

David, the Psalmist had lots going on in his life. He had heartaches involving his children; he had wars to fight and a nation to keep. He had sin to confess; and the consequences of sin to bear. And yet when we read the Book of Psalms, we see that David - inspired by the Holy Spirit - has written psalms of thanksgiving and praise over and over again.

Yes, we may have busy lives. We may have our fair share of ups and downs; of heartaches and trials. But surely we can spend time each day consciously counting our blessings and thanking God, the Giver of all good and perfect gifts, for all He has done for us and is doing for us.



We began yesterday's Thanksgiving get-together by singing the first two verses of Psalm 92. (Scottish Metrical)


To render thanks unto the Lord
it is a comely thing,
And to Thy name, O thou most High
due praise aloud to sing.

Thy loving-kindness to shew forth
when shines the morning light;
And to declare Thy faithfulness
with pleasure every night.


David also says in Psalm 34: "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth". I truly believe that my own heart will be transformed from cold, barren and dull .... to being fruitful, attractive and warm, if only I take my own advice and THANK my God for my innumerable and immeasurable blessings.


5 comments:

  1. A thankful heart truly is a happy heart and when we direct our gratitude to Him for the good and perfect gifts (yes, even the hard that cause us to lean into Him for grace and strength) He is glorified. A beautiful post, Anne.

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  2. Thank you for this lovely reminder! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving and your tree looks wonderful!

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  3. How beautiful! I am having a ladies get-together this week for Christmas. I think we will do a version of this. Thank you for the idea. I can't wait to tell you how it goes.

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    1. Yes, please let me know how it goes. I hope you have a wonderfully blessed get-together.

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  4. Yes, I've been thinking the same things this last week. We miss out on so many blessings and so much joy when we forget to see how blessed we are, and be thankful and grateful. I love your tree. Its a wonderful project, and such a good lesson.
    Blessings,
    Pam

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