Unconditional Thanks

By Cynthia Ruchti -

Few things warm a parent’s or grandparent’s heart like hearing a little child’s innocent and uninhibited prayers.The other day, four-year-old Hannah asked if she could offer thanks for the table meal. She started out traditionally, “Thank You, Jesus, for this good day.”

Then the prayer took an unexpected twist. “Thank You for this food and…“

Hannah paused, leaned over to her mom, and whispered, “What are we having for dessert?”

As if it mattered.

“Strawberries,” her mom whispered back.

Hannah frowned, hands still folded in front of her. Out of the corner of her mouth came, “But I don’t like strawberries.”

Awkward silence. Would she still be grateful and thank the Lord for them?

Would I?

Do I practice conditional gratitude? Oh, I’ll be grateful to the Lord, as long as what He provides meets my expectations and exact specifications. But what if I’m hoping for a quick recovery and what the Lord dishes up is an endurance test? What if I ask for a job and He thinks a period of joblessness is better for me? What if what I’m expecting for “dessert” is chocolate cake and He gives me chocolate dipped strawberries? Wait, bad example.

The point is that if I lean on the Lord’s unconditional love for me, my gratitude to Him should be unconditional as well.

PRAYER: Lord, make me mean this when I say that it doesn’t matter what You dish up, what You have planned, I…will…be…grateful!

“Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2 NET).

Today’s devotional is by Cynthia Ruchti, writer/producer of THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME radio ministry and president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Cynthia’s debut novel—They Almost Always Come Home—released from Abingdon Press May 1, 2010–http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtZb0by984g. Cynthia writes stories of hope-that-glows-in-the-dark (www.cynthiaruchti.com).