Published 9/30/19
By Greg Johnson
What If...
This is a typical day in your life.
From midnight to about 7:00 A.M. you sleep in your own room and nice, warm bed. The sheets are clean, a small light is left on all night, and your clock radio is on your nightstand.
When the alarm wakes you, you immediately put in a tape of your favorite radio series, Adventures in Odyssey. Looking through your drawers, you see about a dozen different outfits you could wear to school that day. You also have four different pairs of shoes to pick from.
You head to the kitchen for breakfast, where Dad is waiting and ready to fix you whatever you want. This morning you feel like Cream of Wheat. He goes to work without any complaint. “Do you want juice with that?” he asks. “Sure,” you say as you gulp down the cereal.
When you finish, you put your homework into your backpack and climb into the car. The weather is bad, so Mom is taking you to school.
After a full day of classes, you come home to a snack and conversation. You don’t know what life would be like without having Mom at home to talk to. Walking down the hallway toward your room to do your homework, you pass through the cozy house you’ve called home for many years. The floors are clean, pictures are on the wall... this is a good place, you think.
About 6:00 P.M., Mom calls everyone to dinner. Dad sits down, prays, and asks how everyone’s day was as a nice hot meal is dished up.
After dinner you head downstairs to play a game or two before watching an hour or so of some of your favorite TV shows. During the second show, you’re hungry so you head up to the kitchen to get some cereal. There are about ten choices staring you in the face, but only a couple with no sugar. Oh well, Chex isn’t so bad.
When it’s time to hit the hay, Dad comes in your room to pray with you and see if you want to talk. As you read a chapter from one of the dozens of books in your room, your eyes get heavy. You turn over and drift off to sleep.
Questions to Think On
• Though no one’s home life is exactly like this, many kids have something close to this type of life; a good one. What would come to your mind if you considered all that you’ve been given?
• If thankfulness was one of the things that came to your mind, whom would you thank?
• How often and in what ways would you say thanks?
• Mom and Dad: When you were little, did you appreciate what you’d been given or did you take it for granted? How would you like your child to communicate thankfulness?
What Does God Have to Say?
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
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