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"Gratitude is always an option."

A thought by Max Lucado from his book, Every Day Deserves a Chance: Wake Up to the Gift of 24 Hours (p. 29). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Yes, it is, it always is.

Max says, “Matthew Henry made it his. When the famous scholar was accosted by thieves and robbed of his purse, he wrote this in his diary: ‘Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much; and, fourthly, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.’”

Max goes on, “Make gratitude your default emotion, and you’ll find yourself giving thanks for the problems of life.”

He says, “Need spice in your day? Thank God for every problem that comes down the pike. Is any situation so dire that gratitude is eliminated? Some of the ladies at the Women of Faith Conference thought it was. This great organization fills arenas with women and women with hope. The president, Mary Graham, told me about one particular weekend in which a shortage of space tested everyone’s patience.

“The floor had 150 fewer seats than needed. The arena staff tried to solve the problem by using narrow chairs. As a result, every woman had a place to sit, but everyone was crowded. Complaints contaminated like feedlot fragrance. Mary asked Joni Eareckson Tada, a speaker for the evening if she could calm the crowd. Joni was perfectly qualified to do so. A childhood diving accident has left her wheelchair-bound. The attendants rolled her onto the platform, and Joni addressed the unhappy crowd. ‘I understand some of you don’t like the chair in which you are sitting. Neither do I. But I have about a thousand handicapped friends who would gladly trade places with you in an instant.’

“The grumbling ceased.”

Then Max says, “Yours can too. Major in the grace of God. Measure the gifts of God. Who knows what you might record in your journal: ‘Mondays, oh boy—my favorite.’  ‘Tax days, oh boy—my favorite.’  ‘Year-end-review day, oh boy—my favorite.’

“Impossible, you say? How do you know? How do you know until you give every day a chance?”

Will by your gratitude give today a chance?  Will you?


Yes, yes!
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