Winning Ways -- Hillcrest Baptist Church

From Gratitude to God
by Tom Goodman
November 25, 2015

I usually open my small-group study for those considering belief by asking what they hope to get out of the course. One woman's answer surprised me:

"I want to know who to thank."

My class is called The Anchor Course, based on the class textbook I wrote with the same name. As we get acquainted with each other during the first week, one of the questions I ask is what drew them to the study. Most people express their desire to find something that will give meaning to life, but I remember one woman who gave me a unique answer.

"I have a different reason to be part of this study," she said. "I just had a baby, and my life is filled with so much joy. I want to know who to thank."

What a profound statement! This young woman recognized that much of the wonder and joy in her life could not be attributed to anything she had earned. Perhaps for the first time in her life, she felt an overwhelming sense of what could only be described as gratitude, and for her that implied a Giver. It led her on a search for someone to thank.

We can be like pigs that came upon apples on the ground: We can enjoy the sweet things of life without ever looking up to see where they came from.

It's true that a lot of people experience unfair pain and disappointment, but we are not looking at all the facts if we simply point to the undeserved heartbreaks of life and conclude that an attentive God doesn't exist. We have to take into account the undeserved joys of life, too. When we do, like the young woman with her new baby, we will ask, "I want to know if there's someone to thank for all this."

David, the beloved poet-king of the Old Testament, had someone to thank. In one of his poems, overwhelmed with a sense of wonder and gratitude, he said to himself--

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits.
--Psalms 103:2 NASB

This Thanksgiving season, let a heart of gratitude lead you to the Someone you can thank!

(For more information on The Anchor Course, go to www.anchorcourse.org.)

--Tom

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From Gratitude to God by Tom Goodman November 25, 2015 I usually open my small-group study for those considering belief by asking what they hope to get out of the course. One woman's answer surprised me: "I want to know who to thank." My class is called The Anchor Course, based on the class textbook I wrote with the same name. As we get acquainted with each other during the first week, one of the questions I ask is what drew them to the study. Most people express their desire to find something that will give meaning to life, but I remember one woman who gave me a unique answer. "I have a different reason to be part of this study," she said. "I just had a baby, and my life is filled with so much joy. I want to know who to thank." What a profound statement! This young woman recognized that much of the wonder and joy in her life could not be attributed to anything she had earned. Perhaps for the first time in her life, she felt an overwhelming sense of what could only be described as gratitude, and for her that implied a Giver. It led her on a search for someone to thank. We can be like pigs that came upon apples on the ground: We can enjoy the sweet things of life without ever looking up to see where they came from. It's true that a lot of people experience unfair pain and disappointment, but we are not looking at all the facts if we simply point to the undeserved heartbreaks of life and conclude that an attentive God doesn't exist. We have to take into account the undeserved joys of life, too. When we do, like the young woman with her new baby, we will ask, "I want to know if there's someone to thank for all this." David, the beloved poet-king of the Old Testament, had someone to thank. In one of his poems, overwhelmed with a sense of wonder and gratitude, he said to himself-- Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits. --Psalms 103:2 NASB This Thanksgiving season, let a heart of gratitude lead you to the Someone you can thank! (For more information on The Anchor Course, go to www.anchorcourse.org.) --Tom Beacon Articles Available Online: The staff newsletters that appear each week in the Beacon are also available on our website. You can find them here. Check out my weblog here. Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them! Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail. FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST UPDATED WEEKLY: www.hillcrestaustin.org LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS: Click here. MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: Click here. If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.