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"Gratitude lifts our eyes off the things we lack so we might see the blessings we possess."

A thought by Max Lucado from his book, Every Day Deserves a Chance: Wake Up to the Gift of 24 Hours (p. 27). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Max goes on, “Nothing blows the winter out of the day like the Caribbean breeze of thankfulness. Need some trade winds?”

He says, “When Paul sent Timothy off to spiritual university, he told him to major in the grace of God: ‘You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 2:1 nkjv, emphasis mine). Do the same. Focus on the cross of Christ. Grow fluent in the language of redemption. Linger long at the foot of the cross. Immerse yourself in the curriculum of grace. It’s so easy to be distracted. So easy to be ungrateful, to make the mistake of Scott Simpson’s caddie.

“Scott is a professional golfer who plays often at the Masters Golf Tournament, hosted by the Augusta National Golf Club. Augusta National is to golfers what the Smithsonian is to history buffs: the ultimate experience. The course explodes in beauty. You would think you’d walked into an oil painting. Groomers manicure the course as if she’s a wedding-day bride. In describing the perfection to his caddie, Scott commented, ‘You won’t see a single weed all week.’

“Imagine Scott’s surprise when, on Sunday, after five days of walking the course, his caddie pointed to the ground and announced to Scott, ‘I found one!’”

 Max then says, “Don’t we do the same? We indwell a garden of grace. God’s love sprouts around us like lilacs and towers over us like Georgia pines, but we go on weed hunts. How many flowers do we miss in the process?

“If you look long enough and hard enough, you’ll find something to bellyache about. So quit looking! Lift your eyes off the weeds. Major in the grace of God.”

So, will you lift your eyes off the weeds?


 Yes, yes!
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