Article June 26, 2000 Issue

Facing demands? Giving thanks can help

Do yourself a favor: take another look at what you have.

By Holly Hughes

Do You Ever think that you don't have enough time, money, or energy to meet the demands you are facing? If the answer is yes, you might want to ask yourself, Have I given thanks for the good in my life today? Gratitude, even in the midst of trouble, can have wonderful effects.

Giving thanks for the good at hand helps us stop focusing on what we think we don't have or can't accomplish, and opens our eyes to the spiritual good that our Father-Mother God gives us. It's reassuring to know that God's children are entitled to and, in fact, have access to an infinite supply of good.

Jesus was certainly aware of this truth. On one occasion, a crowd of five thousand people followed him because they had seen him heal both sickness and sin. He asked one of his disciples, Philip, where they could get enough food for all the people. Philip replied, "Twenty pounds' worth of bread would not be enough for them, even if they had only a little each" (John 6:7, J.B. Phillips). Another disciple, Andrew, told Jesus there was a boy nearby with five loaves of bread and two fish; however, Andrew didn't think that would be enough to feed such a crowd.

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