Folding Our Hands
May 10, 2016
READ: Philippians 4:6-7
Fred Craddick tells about an afternoon he spent with his three year old granddaughter, Kristen. They went for a walk in the park. They saw acorns, squirrels, and butterflies. They had a great morning and returned home for lunch. As they sat down at the table, Kristen boldly announced to her grandfather that she should return thanks. And then she said, “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.” She looked up and said, “Grandpa, we’ve got to do it again.” “Why? What’s the matter?” he asked. She said, “You didn’t hold your hands right.” “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, and she got up out of the chair, walked over to him, fixed his hands, and said, “Grandpa, if you don’t hold your hands right, it won’t work.”
Isn’t that neat? Someone had taught that little girl the importance of giving thanks. It was serious business to her. It needs to be serious business for us, because the truth is, the more you practice saying ‘thank you,’ the healthier you will be. In fact, one of the pathways to finding peace is through counting your blessings. Paul reminds us, “Thank God for all that He as done, then you will experience God’s peace.” It may not matter how we fold our hands, but folding them somehow to return thanks matters a great deal.
Fred Craddick tells about an afternoon he spent with his three year old granddaughter, Kristen. They went for a walk in the park. They saw acorns, squirrels, and butterflies. They had a great morning and returned home for lunch. As they sat down at the table, Kristen boldly announced to her grandfather that she should return thanks. And then she said, “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.” She looked up and said, “Grandpa, we’ve got to do it again.” “Why? What’s the matter?” he asked. She said, “You didn’t hold your hands right.” “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, and she got up out of the chair, walked over to him, fixed his hands, and said, “Grandpa, if you don’t hold your hands right, it won’t work.”
Isn’t that neat? Someone had taught that little girl the importance of giving thanks. It was serious business to her. It needs to be serious business for us, because the truth is, the more you practice saying ‘thank you,’ the healthier you will be. In fact, one of the pathways to finding peace is through counting your blessings. Paul reminds us, “Thank God for all that He as done, then you will experience God’s peace.” It may not matter how we fold our hands, but folding them somehow to return thanks matters a great deal.