Series: It's All Good
Message: The Art of Gratitude 
Preacher: Dena King
Daily Walk: Dena King

Refresh: Open with prayer. Read or listen to Psalm 112.

Read: Luke 17:11-19 (NIV). As you read the New International Version, note 1–3 insights.

Reflect: Have you ever thought about this? Would you choose never having to feel pain if that meant also never being able to feel really great? You’d never again feel warm and cozy or full and content? I think all of us would choose a little pain, right? 

For a few years of my life I ran marathons. People would ask me, “So you must really love running, huh?” The answer was actually, no. I don’t love running. It was nearly always a struggle to make myself go out and train. I finally realized that the joy I was getting from running, other than just the satisfaction of saying I had done it, was how amazing it felt when I stopped. The part I loved of running was the end of a long training run, after my shower, when I got to sit down and eat a really good meal.

So I finally came to the realization that I shouldn’t have a hobby simply because I love how it feels when I stop doing it. I had been essentially making myself really miserable so that I could make myself feel better by quitting. There are other ways I can make myself feel tired and accomplished that I actually enjoy such as hiking or working in the garden. But I really do sometimes miss how good that meal tasted after a grueling, 20-mile training run.

If you had never been cold you wouldn’t appreciate the wonderful warmth of a fire. If you had never been hungry you wouldn’t know the ecstasy of a home cooked meal of all your favorite comfort foods. If you had never been in pain you wouldn’t appreciate how great it feels when the hurt lifts. In this life we will feel pain and face hardships. Be thankful for these times too because they help you fully appreciate the good.

Recalibrate: ​​​Is there something in my life that I can choose to be thankful for rather than resenting? Would you choose a pain-free life if it meant you never felt really good either?

Respond: Pray for someone in your life who has helped you to see a challenging situation from a positive perspective.

Research: Visit www.ted.com and search for Laura Trice’s talk titled, “Remember to Say Thank You.”