Gratitude and The Father’s tender heart

My husband was away at work. I was home with the kids and needed to get all 3 of them ready for school in good time as well as get ready myself as I had to be at work to run my clinic.

Weekday mornings at our home could be dramatic as I imagine other homes with young kids could be and while we try to stick to a routine as best we can, some days could be challenging, from that child who wouldn’t get out of bed in time for a bath, to the one who asked for cereal and just when you’ve offered it, lets out a cry insisting (s)he wanted toast. On other days, it’s either a tantrum for the most insignificant thing, such as wanting the blue rather than black pair of socks, to one of the kids needing to use the toilet just when we are about to get out the door. So stressful 😩.

Back to my story: this morning, I was right in the thick of it. The 2 littles were at the table, I could hear them chatting away, with no cares in the world. My older son, Adriel, was getting all dressed up, while I was making beds, folding duvets and trying to get everywhere in some tidy state. In the background, the clock was ticking away and as my eyes caught it, I realised what little time we had left. I quickly called out to my daughter (shouted more like), “Hannah, come and wear your shoes and tidy your hair”. Sam couldn’t be bothered. He was going to make sure he got that last bit of toast in and finished his blueberries. My daughter ran up, put on her shoes and as I tried to get the last few things ready in order to get us out the door, she turned to me and said in a very gentle but sweet tone:

“Mum, thank you for looking after us; you’re the best mum in the whole wide world and back again”.

Pause……. that was my first reaction. It felt like cold water on a hot, sunny day. She had already dashed off to join her brothers when I called her back, gave her a big hug and thanked her for being so sweet. Those words energised me to get through what was left, brightened my day and made my heart truly tender towards her in that moment.

As I reflected on it, it occurred to me the huge difference gratitude makes. Sometimes even in our relationships with The Lord, we are quick to complain about things, make endless requests and may not always make room for gratitude. Of course God is never having a stressful or high pressure day like I was but those words of gratitude from my daughter and the effect they had on my heart helped me see just how much we should express our thanks to our Heavenly Father. It didn’t matter to her that it’s my duty as a parent to take care of them. She just flowed in thanks and went on to lavish me with words of praise. In that moment, I could have given her anything. My heart was truly tender towards her and she didn’t leave without a hug and a kiss from her Mummy.

Gratitude is powerful. I imagine it has similar effects on The Father’s heart as it had on mine and i don’t know that any child of His who turns to Him with a grateful heart and thankful lips, would leave His presence without a loving hug, a God kiss and an overflow of blessings.

Let’s be people who choose gratitude, even when it’s hard. There’s always something we can be thankful for and it always gets the attention of our tender, loving Father.

~ How can you apply this to your own life?

~ Do you feel that God must perform His obligations towards you such that you now assume a posture of entitlement rather than thankfulness?

~ What if you started each day being grateful to Him for all He does and being intentional about lavishing Him with praise?

“Praise The Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.“ Psalms 103: 2-5