On August 1, five months ago (it’s written in my journal), I woke up disappointed ANGRY at Bill. I don’t remember why … I’m glad I didn’t write that part.

Before my feet touched the floor, I prayed, God, what would it look like to trust you today?

The prayer I voice almost every day was especially needed that day.

About an hour later, I sat on our swing with John Ortberg’s book Soul Keeping in hand. The chapter titled, The Soul Needs Gratitude was my reading that morning. I learned the Hebrew term for gratitude literally means, “recognizing the good” and involves three factors, three bene’s (the Latin word meaning good). Hmmm, why didn’t I remember that from my high school Latin? But I digress.

1. Benefit – “Bless the LORD, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits,” Psalm 103:2. Good springs from God.
2. Benefactor – do you almost see the word factory? A benefactor is one who does good. As a Christian, I believe that it is God’s factory creating the good that comes my way. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above …” James 1:17
3. Beneficiary – that’s me, the one who receives the good gifts from God who always has my best interests in his heart. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

God graciously allowed my anger to be reformatted, realigned, and dissipate that morning as I remembered the goods I was experiencing.

One of my goods that came to mind was a conversation with Diane last spring. She and I were getting to know each other during our annual mission’s conference. As we shared our stories, we were amazed at how our journeys were intersecting. It was the beginning of a deepening friendship which is growing through texting prayer requests and scripture to each other. Diane’s friendship is one of my gifts.

A few weeks ago we received Diane and Bill’s Christmas letter. Between April and December 2016, Diane kept a thankfulness list recording a whopping 4360 entries! (Move over Ann*) I knew the circumstances of Diane’s life; I did not know of her thankfulness list. She tells me her list, born out of a daily wrestling and need to reformat and realign her thinking, was like putting on corrective lenses, clarifying her focus, and enabling her to see God and his grace more clearly.

Her entries spanned the death of her dad, the continuing saga of her mom living with progressive dementia, and their 35 year old daughter’s episode with cardiac arrest. A BIG thank you is that God spared her life and she is now back at work.

Diane’s journey fleshed out Ortberg’s teaching.

1. Thankfulness reformats our thinking. We remember God’s benefits.
2. The source of our thankfulness is God, our benefactor, not our circumstances.
3. The habit of recording our thankfulnesses, recognizing we are the beneficiary, is the reason we can rest in peace that passes understanding. Philippians 4:7

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts … And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly …
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:16-17

*Ann Voskamp’s book, 1000 Gifts spent 60 weeks on the NYT’s Best Seller List and has ministered extensively around the world.