Bread for the Day - by Dorothy Avent

 

On Christmas Day 1990, I was given a diary. Nothing unusual in that - but this diary was to make quite a difference in my life. It happened to have extra blank spaces on the right-hand page, opposite the dated page on the left. On 1st January 1991 after a walk by the sea in Devon, on a blustery day, I wrote in the extra space in my diary - 'Thanks Lord for the windswept bay, the great sea-breaks, and the exhilaration'.

This simple prayer led me to decide to write down 'ONE THING TO THANK GOD FOR' every day, - not really thinking I could keep this up for a whole year.

As I continued day after day, I became aware that there was alway something to thank God for, not only on good days but even on darkest days.

These daily gifts from God come in many different ways through people, events, nature, awareness, the senses...

When I look back at my '365 reasons to give thanks' entered in that diary, I am amazed by the many and diverse gifts God had given to nourish, help and sustain my daily journey.

God's blessing come to us all, but sometimes they are not noticed or acknowledged.

Saying thanks each day does change life. Gradually there is a greater awareness of God's immense bounty and love, continuing and never withdrawn.

If in the year 2002 you find your New Year Resolutions almost impossible to keep, try this instead:

Recall just ONE THING one blessing, received from God that day and give him thatnks for it IN WRITING at nightfall.

When you look back, you will discover that there are many more than 365 reasons to give thanks to our Creater, and no Diary of Notebook could contain them all!