As many of you know, I have a little two-year old friend living with me. It’s been an adjustment transforming from a single, carefree woman to a mama of a toddler. Though at times it’s been tough, it’s also brought a lot of laughs and smiles too. What I didn’t anticipate was how much this little boy would teach me.
Each night at bedtime we pray together. I start off the prayer, “Dear God, thank you for…” Then my little friend begins a long list of everything he’s thankful for. Usually his favorite teacher is first, followed by his friends at school and then trains, cars, trucks and fire engines. But some nights, he gets very creative and definitely follows the command of scripture in Ephesians 5:20 to, “give thanks to God the Father for everything.”
He’s a pretty observant little boy, who early on noticed a pushpin hole in the wall right above his head in his bed. One night after he thanked God for his teachers, his school friends, and toys, he thanked God for the hole-in-the wall. Then he then went on to thank God for gentle and kind hands. At first glance, this may seem like a simplistic and silly prayer, but truly, I find it to be profound.
To be thankful for a hole in the wall means that God has provided you with a roof over your head and a warm, cozy bedroom with walls around you to sleep at night. To thank God for gentle and kind hands means that you realize that it’s God helping you to please Him and to do what’s right.
How many times have we adults stopped to thank God for our place to live or for His help to do what is right and pleasing to Him? How often do we stop and “give thanks to God for everything,” even the simple and mundane things?
I hope this Thanksgiving we all will take time to thank God for everything. Perhaps you won’t thank God for a hole in the wall, but consider taking the time to thank God for the simple and mundane things that you take for granted every day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
