Grateful Heart

Have you ever gone into the store for one thing and come out with something completely different?  You go in for clothes and come out with a new set of dishes (relax, they were on clearance).  Or you make a quick stop for milk and come out with 4 half-gallons of ice cream?  This happens to me all the time, and not just at Target.  In my defense, some of the things I have purchased this way have become favorites.

I have this small piece of “artwork” I happened upon in the clearance section when I was looking for something else; I don’t remember what I was actually shopping for.  It’s a cross with a heart and reads “Start each day with a grateful heart.”  The string art on the piece is not perfect.  Perhaps that’s why it was on the clearance shelf…perhaps it’s a result of sitting on the clearance shelf.  I see it as a reminder that, imperfect as I may be, each day is a new start and a fresh opportunity to check my attitude.  First coffee, then attitude check; I am just not a morning person!  What about the days it doesn’t seem there is much to be thankful for even after coffee?

Well, there is another detail I didn’t actually notice until my little misfit piece was already home and it’s the reason I love it so much.  The spot where each nail was to be tapped into the wood is marked with a red dot.  I know this because some of the nails landed on the dot and others are a liiittle bit off.  As I looked at red dots on a cross, I realized what I ALWAYS have to be thankful for.  God allowed his precious son, Jesus, to die brutally on a cross and much blood was shed that day.  He did it FOR ME.  Jesus actually served as the sacrifice for my sins so those sins would no longer separate me from God.  Who does that?  Someone who loves me.  And He’ll do it for you to.  You need only ask.  Why? Because he loves you too. (John 3:16)

Now don’t get me wrong.  I have days when it’s hard to be grateful for anything.  In some seasons of life, those days have strung together into weeks or months.  This is when I need my little sign the most.  Perhaps the season you are in personally, or the season we are in globally has you feeling like nothing is going right.  Jesus tells us to take heart because he has overcome the world (John 16:33).  If you want to know more, please reach out either in the comments section below or via email here.  If not, I’ll see you in the clearance section.

Cindy is a blog contributor at Study With Friends Ministries.  If you enjoyed this blog, you may be interested in other ones by Cindy. You can also listen to our Bible studies by tuning in to your favorite radio station, listening to our podcast on iTunes, or listening through TuneIn or Stitcher online radio. We are now on Spotify as well!