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August 01, 2006 |
Much Obliged
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:18
Writer Fulton Oursler had vivid memories of an old woman named Anna who helped care for him as a child. When she sat down to eat she would say, ìMuch obliged, dear Lord, for my vittles.î Oursler wondered why she thanked God since she would get the food regardless of whether she gave thanks or not.
ìIt makes everything taste better to be thankful,î Anna said. ìYou know, itís a game an old preacher taught me to play. Itís about looking for things to be thankful for. Like one day I was walking to the store to buy a loaf of bread. I look in all the windows. There are so many pretty clothes.î
ìBut Anna, you canít afford to buy any of them!î he interjected.
ìOh, I know, but I can play dolls with them. I can imagine your mom and sister all dressed up in them and Iím thankful. Much obliged, dear Lord, for playing in an old ladyís mind.î
Many years later, when Anna was dying, Oursler remembered standing by her bedside; deep in pain, her old hands were knotted together in a desperate clutch. ìPoor old woman,î he thought. ìWhat had she to be thankful for now?î Just then, she opened her eyes and looked at him and said, ìMuch obliged, dear Lord, for such fine friends.î
Being thankful is not about painting on a smile no matter what weíre going through. According to the Reverend Dr. John Westerhoff, who tells Annaís story in a booklet called ìGrateful and Generous Hearts,î gratitude is about viewing all of life as a gift. ìTaking nothing for granted, demanding nothing as her due, she recognized that we come into this world with nothing, we go out with nothing, and in between we are given all we have.î
While the busyness and responsibilities of our lives can easily obstruct our view, none of us has to look very far to find a reason to be thankful. Living with an attitude of thankfulness is God-honoring, good for the soul, and infectious. What are you thankful for? Try making a list of ten thingsóthe first ten that come to mind. Then give Annaís prayer a try: ìMuch obliged, dear Lord. Much Obliged.î
Quicken Basic
One of the most surprising findings in the book The Millionaire Next Door is the fact that over half of all millionaires use a household budget to guide their spending. That's right, the lowly budget--what I call the Rodney Dangerfield...
“We recently had Matt Bell speak at our church. He brought an outstanding message on developing a life of generosity that really touched and blessed our congregation. He is a well-prepared, well-spoken communicator of God’s truth. His use of illustrations and visual media combined with the Word of God made for a very powerful message for our people. I would highly recommend Matt to your ministry.”