If I embrace this scripture, completely and totally – and isn’t that the way He intended? – then everything I do, everything I say, should be done in His name, with an attitude of thanks.  On a day when my attitude is good, things go much more smoothly.  On a day when my attitude stinks…well, not so much.  I have come to realize it really is ALL IN THE ATTITUDE.  A thankful and grateful heart allows me to see things differently, than when my heart is not in that place.  When talking about cultivating a “spirit of thanksgiving” Billy Graham writes in my favorite devotional book he authored

“Thank God for every blessing He gives you. Thank Him for Christ and what He has done for you.  Even when things go wrong, thank Him that they aren’t worse, and you are still in His hands.” 

I am in Colorado for a few days.  I scheduled this post before leaving home.  I am hoping my air travel this trip is less eventful than my trip to California last August!  If you don’t know what happened you can read about it HERE and HERE.

Air travel is fine…when it works OK and the security lines aren’t too long and the airline doesn’t lose your luggage and there is no turbulence and the person in the seat next to you doesn’t spill their drink on you and there is…I’m sorry…did I say air travel was fine?!?! *big grin here* I love the speed of air travel, I really do.  It is all the other stuff that bugs me. 

I am thankful that I have a choice, that I am able to travel and that I have so many blessings in my life.  I remember when I was stuck in the Denver airport last year, it was about 1 o’clock in the morning – keep in mind hundreds of people were stranded that day/night – after I located a seat near an outlet (so I could re-charge my phone) I was trying to get comfortable enough to snooze when I saw this woman trying to get two small children settled on the floor so they could sleep.  At that moment, I was so thankful that I was alone…no small children…I wasn’t trying to get to California for a wedding or a funeral.  Things could have been so much worse.  At that point, I think I said a prayer of thanksgiving. 
No matter how bad things are, they could be worse and sometimes I need to be reminded of that.

Lord, please take care of these guys while I am gone. 

Have a good week…

*I get no compensation for mentioning this book*

an edit repost from the archives