Tammy and I have been invited to Common Grounds for their annual Thanksgiving celebration. I’ve got a couple of ideas for a devotion, but one thing I know I want to emphasize is that genuine thanksgiving is something that takes practice. It’s like the old joke about the conductor of the New York Symphony who was stopped on the street one day and asked by a tourist how to get to Carnegie Hall. He responded, “Practice! Practice! Practice!”
Years ago, I had a retired school principal in my church who was one of the happiest people I’ve ever known. Whenever I would see him, I would say, “Jack, how are you?” His response was always the same, “Super great – but I’ll get better.” Even after he was diagnosed with leukemia, his answer never changed. The day before he died, when Jack’s hospice nurse asked him how he was doing, he said again, “Super great, but I’ll get better.” And he was right! Hours later, God took Jack home to a place where praise and thanksgiving never end.
Even in the midst of an imperfect world, we can grow in gratitude. Join me in worship this weekend, as we once again practice, practice, practice!