By Carol Round – “[Jesus] gave thanks and broke the loaves”—Matthew 14:19 (NIV).
When Jesus performed the miracle of the five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude, it was no ordinary feat. However, before He broke the bread, He lifted it to heaven and gave thanks.
In one of my recent morning devotionals, writer Iris Alderson pondered the following as she was kneading and forming dough into a loaf of homemade bread. She wrote, “I couldn’t help but wonder what Jesus was thankful for. Was He thankful for the farmer who planted the tiny grain of wheat? For the sun that warmed the earth, enabling the wheat to grow? Was He thankful for the gentle rain that brought life to that tiny grain of wheat?”
Later, as the aroma of freshly baked bread filled her kitchen, Alderson thought of how “Jesus must have been thankful for the miracle of nature—for the sun and the rain and everything that went into making a simple loaf of bread.”
Give Thanks When You See God at Work
Each week in our Sunday School class, the first question our teacher asks is, “Where did you see God at work this week?”
Often, the stories shared in class relate to things in nature and simple things we usually take for granted. Last week, a new member of our class and a recent follower of Jesus Christ related a story about a tiny bird he saw lying on the ground. At first, he thought the bird was dead. When he poked the creature, it responded and flew up into a tree.
Continuing with his story, the man described waking up the next morning to see the tiny bird perched on his windowsill. He’d not completely lowered the blinds the night before, and the bird had enough space to peek into our classmate’s bedroom. Wrapping up his story, the young man said, “I give thanks to God for allowing me to experience this. He is so good.”
Giving Thanks for His Goodness
Sometimes it’s easy to overlook God’s goodness. We often take everyday blessings for granted. When was the last time you gave thanks for electricity? Was it when you were without? Or did you complain until it was restored?
Last year, when an F3 tornado hit our town, many took to social media to complain about the length of time it was taking for the electricity to be restored. I was without power for three days. Others weren’t so fortunate and lost everything, while others had to wait weeks for their power to be restored.
During the time I was without, I enjoyed the quiet and opened my windows to get fresh air. I had flashlights and lanterns and could still read my Bible. Since I also love reading Christian novels, I was blessed to be able to enjoy them as well. I also gave thanks to God that my house didn’t suffer any damage and that He had provided for my needs during those dark days.
Giving Thanks During the Storms
We can complain when the storms leave us without, or we can give thanks for those times. During the storms of life—and we all experience them—we can look for the ordinary things we take for granted. We can also look for the lesson God is teaching us.
Being thankful is one of the most important lessons we can learn in life. It’s not just about the big things. Look for the little things God blesses us with each day. Those everyday blessings reveal God’s love and care for His children.
Let each of us choose to give thanks when we wake each morning, especially for the little, everyday, ordinary things, including our daily bread and little birds who peek through the window into our bedrooms.
I always love hearing from my readers. Please e-mail me at carol@carolaround.com with your thoughts or visit my blog for more inspiration at www.carolaround.com. If you need a speaker or workshop leader, contact me at the above e-mail address or through my website. I’d be delighted to hear from you. Photo by Nathan Haight on Unsplash