Giving Thanks

I’m writing today to share something our family started two weeks ago. I’m always looking for creative ways to instill good character traits in my children. Most ideas fizzle out within days because nobody seems interested. I finally feel like God gave me an idea that works. And it only takes minutes every night. And it’s fun.

Before I share the idea, let me tell you my struggle. Lately my husband and I battle with Justin, our twelve-year-old son. He wants everything. And once he gets it, he’s over it and then he wants something else. He wants whatever his friends have. I’m sure he is like every other soon-to-be teen boy. But this drives me bonkers.

I cannot stand materialism, it’s a soul rotting disease. Not to say I’m ready to sell everything and live out of a cardboard box or anything. But I think we need “first things first,” (one of my favorite phrases) which a love of things should not be a “first”. . . We should be grateful for our things, but never to the point it becomes our first love.

So to combat the issue of a discontented heart in our home(including my own at times), I went to the dollar store and bought four journals. That night, I sat down with the family and told them we are going to start something new, and it will be done every night together. I told them that it is God’s will for us to be thankful. No matter what.

I read 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to them which says, Giving thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (This verse popped out to me while I read a book called Radical Gratitude by Ellen Vaughn recently. For some reason, I missed it reading my Bible. Now, God’s will seems less mystical and actually obtainable now—everyday. Because I can choose to be thankful.)

Every night in our journal, we write the date and the phrase “I am thankful for,” then we put down five reasons we are thankful. Then, one at a time, we go around sharing our first answer each time repeating, “I am thankful for. . .,” then on to our second answer and so on.

The amazing thing is Justin actually reminds us to do our thankful journals. He loves it. Both my kids do. Derek and I make sure we share at least one reason we are thankful for our children, either together, or individually. You should see their glow, their smiles. However, we’ve already had days where one person is having a bad day. We still require that person share five reasons he/she is thankful. My bad day was last night. I wrote my thanks, but couldn’t muster up grateful feelings. Not then.

I hope this thankful journaling will help me develop an attitude of gratitude. Not just for two weeks, but for my lifetime. This Thanksgiving, I am especially thankful.