On Gratitude

Esther, our giant and growing puppy, was ready to go outside and her oversized tongue was more than happy to let me know this little fact. It wasn’t even six o’clock in the morning and I protested. She doesn’t understand English yet and was relentless as an hourglass. My first few steps weren’t pretty. I discovered I had a sore left foot and my upper legs weren’t feeling the best either. I stumbled through our dark bedroom, stepped on some kind of Lego which only added insult to my injury, and eventually found my robe and slippers. I made it down the stairs one with the help of my arms and the railing at a time at a pace that wasn’t even close to being acceptable to Esther. We spent some time the in brisk fall air, went inside, and started the day.

Esther Finnestad

The day didn’t start out how I hoped and it started a little earlier than I hoped. But God’s words remain as true as they are steadfast: This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. –Psalm 118:24 

When I got to my office after dropping Benjamin off at school, I decided that I was going to rejoice and be glad. So I made a little list of things I’m grateful about. 

• Last night I played soccer for 90 minutes with a dozen twelve-year-old boys and one six-year-old boy. A sore foot doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore. 
• We have this puppy who is now part of our family. She is sweet, playful, and loving. I needed to get out of bed and get going anyway. 
• David’s laughter. It brings a smile to my face every time I hear it. I’m blessed he laughs a lot. 
• The teachers who invest so much time and energy in my two sons. Their lives are better because of you. 
• The Water’s Edge staff for putting up with my big dreams, last minute changes, and busy schedule. My live is better because of you. 
• Today’s lunch date with Amber. She’s a great wife and a great mom. 
• That I’m saved by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8) That I am loved by God. (John 15:13) 
• That I serve a church with the greatest people I have ever known: People who are examples of giving, serving, and loving. I’m blessed to be taking this journey of life with you. 
• For my small group. It is an eclectic group of men and women who laugh, learn, and pray together.
• Prayer. Fresh apples. Forgiveness. Friends. Hope. Laughter. Grace. 

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:18 

When God tells us to be gratefu it is more for us than it is for God. It does something in us. I know it did in me today. I think tomorrow I’ll come up with another list. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

Gratitude and Hope

I sit at my desk and see a reflection of myself in the glass of my bookcase. It’s a pretty dim reflection. Which is just as well. My five year old son David says I look like a hot dog when I wear the shirt I am wearing. 

The books behind the glass have absorbed the reflection for years. The books are no longer on the shelves; they are in boxes. Books on theology and Latin and communication theory. Most of them are in boxes now and will be there for quite some time. The shelves are dusty. My waste basket is full. A picture of my grandpa Adolf, Amber, and me remains on my desk. It is my favorite picture and will always be. Pictures of two boys share the wall space and four college and graduate school diplomas. They will be taken down whenever I have a few free moments. Today isn’t looking very good.

A few of the books needing to be moved

I have been in this office for over seven years. Some of my best friends work down the hall. I walked through the worship center the other day. I remembered the dozens of weddings and funerals. As I look at the door to my office I see hundreds of faces of loving men, women, and children who have stopped in for a visit. Most because they wanted to. Some because they had no where else to go. In a few days I’ll turn in my keys. I’ll drive out of the parking lot for the last time and look into the rearview mirror with feelings of gratitude and thanksgiving. 

I’ll drive to another parking lot about five miles to the west and through the windshield will see our new ministry center. Again my thoughts will be thoughts of gratitude and thanksgiving. For a new church that has the vision and resources to purchase such a building. For the men, women, and children who volunteered hundreds of hours to turn this dream into a reality. For being part of the blessed beginnings of something much bigger than any of us and all of us. For hope and possibilities that are a gift from God. 

The ministry center will be a work in progress for a few weeks. Boxes to be unpacked. Furniture to be delivered. Pictures to be hung. Networks, copiers, office supplies, etc… In the chaos of moving, worship will still be planned, meetings will still happen, and columns will still be written. WE will successfully complete our WE imagine capital campaign, WE will have three Christmas Eve worship experiences and welcome hundreds from the community, and 2013 will be our best year yet! Order, rhythm, balance, and harmony will emerge from the disarray and commotion. 

Life is a lot like this, you know. We have a choice to look in the rear view mirror or through the windshield. Every once in a while we have to look and see what is behind us: we learn from those who have taught us and we learn from our mistakes. But too much looking in the rearview mirror makes it impossible to arrive at our destination. 

Remembering the past with gratitude and moving forward with hope, 

Craig

Gratitude

I'm speaking about gratitude this Sunday. Here are some things I have been thinking about this week:

Gratitude. It’s a choice. It’s an attitude. It changes lives. Your life and the lives around you. 

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. -Melody Beattie

We live in a culture of more is merrier and bigger is better. Envy prevents us from being grateful for what we have because we are distracted by what others have and are preoccupied with what we don’t have. It’s not likely that if we are not thankful for what we currently have that we are going to be thankful for what we get in the future. 

Gratitude is a Choice 

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished. Nevertheless, they set aside a day of thanksgiving. When we choose gratitude we will discover a simple truth of life—happiness doesn’t make us grateful; gratefulness makes us happy. 

Gratitude is an Attitude 

Paul writes about this. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. –Colossians 3:15 

Always be thankful. Have an attitude of gratitude. Give thanks for everything that happens. Know that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. An attitude of gratitude allows for abundance to appear and fear to disappear. 

For Gratitude to be Gratitude – It Must Be Expressed to God and Others

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it i like wrapping a present and not giving it. God gives us a gift of 86,400 seconds today. How many of these seconds are we offering the simple, yet potently powerful prayer: “Thank you!” Gratitude connects us to God like only gratitude can: our Creator and Provider. Our expressed gratitude connects us to others as well. Expressed gratitude is the spark that lights a fire in another’s life. 

I don’t recall a time in my life when I have been more grateful to God and to others. Amber, Benjamin, David and I offer our thanks to you. You have been God’s instrument of grace in our lives at a time we have needed it the most. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig