A Thankful Heart Is A Kind Heart

A Thankful Heart Is a Kind Heart

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Each November our family is intentional about celebrating Thanksgiving and listing all the things we are thankful for during the month. Our kids even make a paper chain that we hang in our kitchen, listing the things they are thankful for on the links. Each evening we add several more links to the chain.

Nothing is too big or too small to be thankful for—food, clothing, shelter, snowboarding, air to breathe, clean water, grandparents, friends, teachers, shoes, a warm house, family—on and on the list goes. Our kids can be creative (one is thankful for cooked vegetables because they’re healthy) or profound (my oldest is thankful for laughter).

We can certainly express thankfulness any time of year, but during November we try to be especially intentional about taking the time to ponder all the things we are thankful for, all the ways we’ve been blessed, and all the things God has done for us during the year. I am amazed that the more I think about what I am thankful for, the kinder I am to those around me. It’s as if my patience and understanding increase along with my gratitude.

No matter what we’ve experienced or what we are currently going through, there is always something to be thankful for. Are you grieving? Think about all the ways God has comforted you in the past. Are you experiencing financial strain? Remember how God has provided for you before. Are you dealing with strained relationships? Consider how God is bringing healing, even if it is just to your own heart.

Although it’s not always easy to do, we are told to be joyful, to never stop praying, and to be thankful in all circumstances. It seems that a grateful heart is a kind heart, one that can allow us to extend outward the thankfulness we feel in our own hearts.

—Kendra

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Make a list of all the things you are thankful for, and then encourage someone else who may be struggling during this season.