V. Norskov Olson tells a legend about a man who found the barn where Satan kept his seeds ready to be sown in the human heart. There were seeds of jealousy and greed to turn people in toward themselves; seeds of discord and war to turn people against their neighbors; seeds of racism, sexism and the other “isms” that make people think that outside differences in people are truly meaningful.
He found the seeds of discouragement more numerous than others, and learned that those seeds could be made to grow almost anywhere. When Satan was questioned, he reluctantly admitted that there was one place in which he could never get the seeds of discouragement to thrive. "And where is that?" asked the man. Satan replied sadly, "In the heart of a grateful person."
I maintain that in the midst of discouragement that is already planted, one way to uproot that weed is to begin to open one’s eyes and heart to the grace that flows so freely from God, and to receive the gift of that grace with thanks.
Henry Ward Beecher wrote these words about gratitude to God:
As flowers carry dewdrops, trembling on the edges of the petals, and ready to fall at the first waft of the wind or brush of bird, so the heart should carry its beaded words of thanksgiving. At the first breath of heavenly favor, let down the shower, perfumed with the heart’s gratitude.
In this Thanksgiving season, may you be more aware than ever of how God is blessing you, your family and your church. I am especially aware of how God continues to bless me through each of you.
Gratefully yours,
Chris
