A Wave of Gratitude

Candace Cameron Bure, a well known actress first from her days portraying D. J. Tanner on Full House and from her Hallmark movies has launched a new initiative regarding gratitude.

“Thanksgiving is coming up. Christmas is right around the corner. And I don’t know about you, but it is so easy for me to get caught up in the whole season. Don’t get me wrong…you know I love it,” Bure told her 5.6 million followers on Instagram.

“But, I want to do a little something different this year,” Bure continued. “Before the shopping, the baking, the parties, and the decorations take over, I want to start by reminding each other what the season’s all about. And I want to do that with gratitude.”

Bure said that expressing gratitude “is something that has changed my life.” So, she’s taking the first four weeks in November to post things that she’s grateful for, and asking her fans to join her.

“I actually want to see if we can start a huge wave of gratitude on social media… and I’m gonna start right now,” she added.

Then she posted her top three things she’s grateful for: her job, food and her fan community.

What a great idea. “A wave of gratitude.” Social media is filled with lots of silliness, complaining, negativism, criticism, and insulting remarks about others. “A wave of gratitude” sounds refreshing. Encouraging. And edifying.

The Bible exhorts, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

Over 100 times the Bible encourages us to “be thankful” and “give thanks.” The Psalmist exclaimed, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (PS. 107:8). In Psalm 26:7, David vowed that he would “proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving” the wonders of the Lord.

The Roman orator Cicero opined that “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others.” Observation suggests that grateful people tend to be loving, kind, caring, generous, forgiving, and humble. Truly grateful people aren’t shy about expressing their thankfulness and giving in return.

Gratitude is a spirit that allows us to change our problems into possibilities. And to turn our troubles into triumphs. Thanksgiving is not dependent on a certain set of circumstances, but a certain set of attitudes. William A. Ward was right when he wrote, “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

Two weeks from today, on the fourth Thursday of November, we celebrate our American Thanksgiving day. Its celebration is rooted in Pilgrims’ appreciation for the corn harvest of 1621 and has been a national holiday since Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it as such in 1863.

However, in the midst of football, food, and family fun, it’s easy to forget its historical significance as well as its practical meaning on a daily basis. Let’s not take for granted either our material or spiritual blessings. G. K. Chesterton expressed it this way, “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”

“A wave of gratitude” might help us all revive and remember our many blessings. Bure’s suggestion is a good one.

What are you grateful for?

I’ll offer these three today.

#1 My spiritual blessings in Christ.
#2 The love of my wife and family.
#3 The faithful followers of ThePreachersWord who encourage me so much.

Thinking about and expressing our gratitude will improve the quality of our lives. As Canadian actor and comedian Will Arnett put it, “I am happy because I am grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman