Retro Thanks
Theme of the Week: Gratitude Attitude
David Seamands
Thursday, November 25, 2004
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Key Bible Verse: Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. (Philippians 1:3) Bonus Reading: 2 Samuel 2:4-6
One day in the early thirties, William Stidger and a group of friends sat in a restaurant talking about the miseries—the joblessness, bankruptcies, and suicides—of the worldwide depression. A fellow pastor said, "In two or three weeks I have to preach on Thanksgiving Day. What can I possibly say that's positive?"
Stidger said it was like the Spirit of God answered that question: "Why not thank those people who've been a blessing in your life and affirm them during this terrible time?" He thought of an English teacher who'd instilled in him a love of literature and verse, affecting all his writing and preaching. So he sat down and wrote her a letter.
In a matter of days he got a reply in the feeble scrawl of the aged:
"My Dear Willy: I can't tell you how much your note meant to me. I am in my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely, and like the last leaf of autumn lingering behind. You'll be interested to know that I taught in school for more than 50 years, and yours is the first note of appreciation I ever received. It came on a blue, cold morning, and it cheered me as nothing has done in many years."
—David Seamands in Preaching Today
My Response:I'll express thanks today to _____, who has blessed my life.
Thought to Apply: Gratitude preserves old friendship, and procures new.
—THOMAS FULLER (English preacher)
Adapted from Preaching Today (62) by permission.
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Lord, incline my heart to gratefulness on down days as well as up days.
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