Teaching Thankfulness to our Children
The clouds begin to roll in. It was looking like it might be a bad storm. A voice thundered across the sky, “Rain shower, be a mighty downpour.” Immediately, the rain started coming down in ‘buckets and sheets’. It was the kind of rain that is referred to as, ‘raining cats and dogs,’ ‘a real frog strangler,’… the kind that flips your umbrella inside out and renders it worthless.
Further up north, something very similar happened. The wind was blowing a little, but as it often does, it became stronger whistling about and in-between houses and cars. A whispering voice breathed, “Snow, fall on the earth,” and at that exact moment snow drifted down in a heavy but beautiful deluge. Snowflakes, all completely unique glistened on surfaces everywhere. When God speaks, we don’t necessarily hear His audible voice, but we see His handiwork. We know He exists and He is at work.
In Job 37:5-6 New International Version (NIV) it says,
“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘fall on the earth;’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
How many times, do we see the rain, the sun, the snow, hear the thunder and the roar of the ocean waves and thank God for it? What if we could hear the Lord audibly speak to the stars and tell them to shine? Would we be more mindful to thank Him?
Sometimes, He whispers to us and other times, He loudly speaks. He is with us always and He desires a relationship with us. With next week being Thanksgiving, try thinking of things with your children to thank God for. But don’t stop after Thanksgiving. Continue to cultivate a thankful heart within your child. Here are some ideas!
1. Thank Him in the morning for a new day as you drive the kids to school.
2. Thank Him for His voice which speaks to us through His word.
3. Help your children cultivate a thankful heart by teaching them God’s word.
4. You can even teach your children praise music to sing and put it on low as they fall to sleep.
5. Help them memorize Scriptures. Write their favorite verses and put them in a photo album or on a bulletin board and let your child decorate the scripture card.
6. Teach your child to thank God for their blessings. A home, a school, a warm sweater, a hot breakfast, a kind teacher, a good friend.
7. Take your children to minister to those who are not as fortunate as them. Maybe serve at a local women’s and children’s shelter, a food bank, or coat drive.
8. In the evening, before bed, pray with your child. Begin their nighttime prayers with gratitude.
Listen, look and be aware of all the blessings the Lord has given us.
Psalm 106:1
1 Praise the Lord.[a]
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
His love endures forever.
Sherry Shepherd
Sherry Shepherd is an experienced, adaptable professional specialized in writing for faith-based organizations. She has worked as an editor and writer for newspaper, movie guides, publishing houses, churches and several non-profits. Her scope of work includes corporate and fundraising materials, advertising, web, brochures, booklets, books, blogs and biblical training materials. However, her heart is drawn to any type of creative writing, where she can motivate while conveying a biblical message and telling a story. Sherry is the mother of three grown children, who have been the source of some of her greatest joy, laughter and material!
