Page 22 - Robeson Living Winter2019

An Attitude

of Gratitude

By Pastor Charles P. Locklear

Psalm 100:4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his

courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

On a recent visit to a local restaurant, suddenly over the of everyday life for vacations , family gatherings , cookouts
speaker system came the old familiar holiday favorite, I wish and We are able to do so in the land where we enjoy the free-
you a Merry Christmas . It suddenly occurred to me that dom of traveling and gathering without the cloud of danger
Thanksgiving had not yet arrived and was in fact several hanging over us . All of this is a reminder that we have so much
weeks away. I wondered... what has happened to Thanks- to be thankful for .
giving this year? Has it been cancelled, and no announce-
ment was made? I thought perhaps this holiday favorite was Thanksgiving means having an attitude of gratitude. it means
somehow mistakenly being played until it was followed up that we don’t take the good things we enjoy for granted as
with another Christmas favorite as well . I am not quite sure though somehow, we deserve them and would be cheated with-
what to think of this yet . Perhaps there are many folks who out them . It seems reasonable to think that anyone In America
don’t consider it strange at all, but it certainly seems of a con- , even though we may not have all that we want , would find it
cern to me as to how we could look forward to and celebrate easy to be thankful . This is obviously not true, and Christmas
Christmas, with a sincere and genuine appreciation of what will provide an opportunity for that to be revealed in our hearts
it represents, without having a sincere appreciation for the and minds . Even while the scents of Thanksgiving dinner are
holiday that calls us to have a thankful heart, for all the good present in our homes, we will discover ourselves complaining
things that we enjoy day after day . about the high cost of Christmas , the difficulty of having to
spend time and energy choosing and delivering gifts , even to
Of course, sincere Thanksgiving could never be confined to folks that we don’t even particularly like.
a single day or weekend. If in fact I am thankful as a way of
life, then every day can be a celebration of all the good things This year can be different and better if we will determine in
that I enjoy in life . This time of year, means that the summer advance to have an attitude of gratitude . It’s much easier to
season has passed, and the fall and winter lie just ahead . say than to practice, but Your life will be better served in every
The summer season ordinarily provides for times of relax- sense of the word if you will decide to intentionally be more
ation and opportunities to separate ourselves from the chores thankful this year. Your mind will be more peaceful , your heart

Page 22 Robeson Living ~ Winter 2019