From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
I want to paint a picture in your mind.
I want you to imagine cloudless days and sitting on the end of the dock with your toes in the cool water.
Bask in the glow of a sunset over the lake and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire.
Sit down to a picnic of barbecued hamburgers, corn on the cob, juicy watermelon, and ice cream sandwiches.
Think of family vacations where everyone is having a great time.
Ah yes, it is the bliss of summer.
It is such a wonderful time of the year.
It’s what we dream of during those long, dull winter days cooped up behind closed doors and wishing we could just get warm.
Summer is to the soul what a perfectly ripe peach is to your taste buds: so satisfying!
Now, with that picture freshly splashed across the canvas of your mind, I want you to consider this quote from Celia Thaxter: “There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.”
Have you ever met a grateful person?
They just brighten your day, don’t they?
A grateful person makes whatever effort you made absolutely worth it.
A grateful person gets your attention and woos you to want to keep doing what you’re doing, knowing that it was appreciated.
Gratitude, for the most part, is easy and it’s free.
However, when it is absent the gears tend to grind a bit more and the sun seems hotter and the day seems longer.
Do you work in retail?
Ever had one of those days where all you had were cranky customers and grousing coworkers?
Makes the shift stretch on and on, doesn’t it?
Gratitude is the butter on your cob of corn and the ice cubes in your glass of iced tea.
The apostle Paul thought gratitude was so important that he made this statement to the church in Thessalonica, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
August is coming to a quick close and with it, the end of summer.
Why not extend yours a little bit longer by purposing to inject a little more gratitude in your dealings this week.
Watch the responses you get, because everyone loves a grateful heart.
