Asking is overrated.

I am as guilty as anyone else. I always approach God in an "o.k. God, here's what I need today" mode. I'm always very ready to ask Him for what I need. After all, doesn't it say in Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"? Doesn't it say in James 4:2, "ye have not because ye ask not"? So I truly believe that God wants us to come to Him for our needs. It just comes naturally for us to ask. In my experience though, it is much harder to say "thank you". This doesn't come quite as naturally. Today I would like to say "thank you" to the Lord. If you would, please join me. Lets just thank Him for all that He does. I'm not going to ask for anything. Just "thank you". Thank you Lord for life. Thank you for letting me wake up to see the beautiful sunshine one more time. Thank you for the strength to get out of bed. Thank you for my beautiful wife. Thank you for my beautiful children. Thank you for our home and the breakfast that we enjoyed together. Thank you for coffee. Thank you for the rain. Thank you for the birds chirping and singing "good morning" just for me. Thank you for a nice warm shower to get clean. Thank you for a toothbrush and toothpaste so my teeth and breath don't offend. Thank you for deodorant and cologne. Thank you for clothes to wear. Thank you for shoes on our feet. Thank you for automobiles. Thank you for my porch swing. Thank you for the swing set for the kids. Thank you for a lawn mower to cut the grass so my yard doesn't look like a jungle. Thank you for health and strength that you give us every day. Thank you for the mountains and valleys that we see every day, both on this earth and in our spiritual walk. Thank you for Your word. It feeds us and sustains us through all that we will encounter. Thank you for the perfect gift of Salvation. Without it, there is no life. Thank you for our church and our good brothers and sisters. Thank you for our family. Thank you for parents that taught us about God and are now awaiting our arrival into that place called Heaven. Thank you for the promise of eternity with you after this battle of life is over. Thank you for a right mind to be able to distinguish between truth and a lie. Thank you for the ability to put pen to paper and put thoughts together to help others. Thank you for all that You have done, are doing, will do in the future, and all the things that You don't do because You know what is best for us. Thank you for everything in between. All the things that I may have missed. Thank you for all the people reading this. Keep blessing them and forever help them be thankful too. Help us never take anything for granted. May we always remember where the blessings come from and may we always be mindful to give thanks to THE ONE who makes all things possible. We love you Lord. Thank you.

LW