On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever. – Psalm 100 (MSG)

Happy Monday! Do you ever find yourself feeling a bit distant from God? Often when this feeling overwhelms, I’m quick to blame Him for His “distance”. Ultimately, though, I know it is not He who has moved or changed, it is my attitude or perception of Him that have gone astray. What to do then, to return my heart toward His affections and feel the closeness of His presence again? Gratitude. And this passage in Psalm says it perfectly, “Sing yourself into his presence. Enter with the password: “Thank you!” If you know Veggie Tales, then you know that a grateful heart is a happy heart. So, when my heart is feeling far from the Lord and pride or comparison rise to the surface, I simply write a list of all the things I am thankful for. Almost instantly, my heart is reminded of how blessed I truly am; far beyond what I deserve.   

So, your mission, if you choose to accept it: Make a Gratitude List! Full transparency, Mondays are not my favorite days – if I’m being honest, my gratefulness meter is pretty low on Mondays – and maybe that’s you too! So, let me encourage you - just write one thing – one thing you’re thankful for. The more we practice gratitude, the easier it is to identify even more things to be thankful for. And when we enter His presence with the password, “Thank You”, He is so gracious and faithful to be present and close.