Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. – Psalm 100:4

My youngest daughter, Elise turned “sweet sixteen” yesterday. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. Because I’d had something called pre-ecclampsia in my first two pregnancies, doctors had counseled us not to even try for a third. Her pregnancy had been considered “high risk,” and we were told that she’d likely be born prematurely. So on the morning of her scheduled c-section at 39 weeks, I literally danced to the operating room, arms waving overhead, celebrating we’d made it to the end. God had made a way and we rejoiced, hence her middle name, “Joy.”

Elise has never known a day where her mom’s 3:00 p.m. alarm didn’t go off. She’s heard me say, “What are you thankful for?” hundreds, if not thousands, of times. When she was little, she always replied she was thankful for our dog. Now her answers vary, but one thing remains the same, she’s my gratitude girl, always quick to say thank you to those around her.

Recently, I challenged a group of women to express their gratitude throughout their day, wherever they went. It’s quite extraordinary to watch other people’s responses when you answer their question, “How are you?” with “I’m so thankful.”

Here are a few examples:

• The woman bagging my groceries stared at me like I was speaking a different language.

• My neighbor made a nervous laugh then quickly changed the conversation.

• The cashier at Target didn’t say a word but grinned from ear to ear.

Could gratitude be contagious? I believe it is. Give it a try. This week wherever you go, make it a point to tell others you’re thankful. Thank the people who help you, serve you, or ask you how you’re doing. Be a light of thankfulness in your corner of the world. I bet Jesus, the Light of the World, will be so pleased with us. Only He knows how many people will be thanked and blessed aa a result.

Psalm 100:4 encourages us to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise. Think about the last time you worshipped God with praise and felt your heart swell. Or when you thanked God for your many blessings and your worries faded away. Gratitude to God has the power to lift our spirits, change our attitudes, and heal our hearts. Let’s be contagious and spread it around this week!

I’m sure my gratitude girl will be thanking her driver’s education teacher as soon as that new license is placed in her hands. (She takes her test tomorrow.) Let’s go and do the same.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call Movement

#parenthood #gratitude #joy