Cultivate a Heart of Thankfulness in Your Children
“What do you say, Tina?”
How many times have you given an apple or a piece of candy or a present to a child and then heard the child’s parents ask, “What do you say, Tina or Benjamin or Heather?”
Bravo to that teaching parent. Even when the little child buries her head in her daddy’s shoulder, too shy to look at you and say thank you, she is learning.
Ray’s daddy used to say, “Never pass up the opportunity to say thank you or to go to the bathroom.” He was right—on both accounts.
Like so many things (or maybe everything), the best way to teach a child to say thank you—and to mean it sincerely—is to see a parent model it. God gives us innumerable reasons for gratitude. As I was writing this, a butterfly lighted outside a window in my office. The butterfly opened and closed its wings again and again, almost as if watching an exercise video: open, close, open, close, open, close. God made that pretty butterfly. He sent it there. He gave it energy to open, close, open, close, and then to fly away.
To quote the song, “Top of the World” by John Bettis and Richard Carpenter, “There is wonder in most everything [we] see.” On our walk yesterday morning, we saw many:
Morning glories climbing a fence, . . .
The river beyond the trees, . . .
The sun rising above the fog, and . . .
Blue skies peeking through the fog.
We should take care to walk through the world with our eyes, ears, and hearts open to wonder and we should take care to respond to the wonder with faith and with gratitude:
- Because God deserves it,
- Because it will do wonders for our hearts, and
- Because our children are watching.
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will rejoice and be jubilant in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2