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On every Mission Discovery mission trip, we begin the morning together in God’s word. One speaker is chosen to give the word of the day so that everyone else can meditate on the Scripture. Our hope is that volunteers engage in group discussions throughout the day and in their small groups.
Since the way ministry is being done has shifted, our goal is to serve by creating resources that will help others focus on God throughout the day, and influence family and small group discussion.
Join us every weekday as we explore God’s word together. We will have speakers from all over the US and the world. Here is today’s Kickstart Devotional.
Video: Devanie Chapman // An Attitude of Gratitude
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An Attitude of Gratitude
Mission Discovery Mission Trips with Dev
Dev has been on quite a few Guatemala mission trips with Mission Discovery. On her most recent mission trip to Guatemala, she served with the Aggie Men’s Club from Texas A&M with her husband Stu. Her message focuses on having an attitude of gratitude. She even recommends a Gratitude Journal, which is a great practice to start right now, in the midst of quarantine. Short term mission trips are a great way to see the world through a different lens, and practicing gratitude can start on a mission trip, but why wait to start counting your blessings. Here is Devanee Chapman with “An Attitude of Gratitude.”
Hi guys. My name is Devanie Chapman. I live near San Antonio Texas with my husband, our four kids, and our new puppy Choco. My husband and I recently went to Guatemala, just right over spring break with Mission Discovery, and we had a great time serving the people of Guatemala. I’m just so thankful that we got to go there and do that together and then be able to fly back home in the midst of the coronavirus and all the things that were going on back here.
An Attitude of Gratitude
That word thankful is something that the Lord keeps impressing on my heart as we’re staying home quarantined and we’re trying to be safe. I just am reminded that we need to be thankful for the things that the Lord has given us. And so that’s what I kind of want talk to you about today, that thought of thankfulness.
So, there are many times when I feel like God will impress something on my heart through my kids. So, we have four kiddos: three boys and a girl. And my daughter is definitely the sassy pants of the bunch.
She likes things her way. And so, it was her birthday a few months ago and I got her some earrings and I thought she would love them. I picked them out in Disney World and waited to give them to her until it was her birthday. And I just knew she was going to love them because they were Minnie Mouse.
I gave them to her and she tosses over her shoulder and keeps opening gifts. And I’m like… Oh, OK. That was nice. Well a little bit later, after all of the gifts were opened I said, “Hey, look at those beautiful earrings. I picked them up for you and I waited to give him to you.”
And she’s like, “If they’re not dangly earrings I don’t want them.” And my heart was like, “Ouch” first of all. And then I felt like the Lord had pressed on my heart that that’s how He feels when He gives me a good gift and I am not thankful for it. And so I think there’s a number of times where I’ve been given something amazing and I just kind of brushed past it or I don’t think twice about it. Maybe I’m just more expectant and expected to get that so I forget to thank Him.
I’ve been reading in Colossians chapter three and I love that passage of Scripture, but this time as I’ve been reading it these words of thankfulness, gratitude, and give thanks popped out at me and So I will read this to you.
What the Bible says about Gratitude. Colossians 3:15-17:
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Now I’ve read those verses before. I just have never seen it through the eyes of thankfulness, and it’s just a reminder that God’s word is alive and living and active. And then, when I see stuff like this and I’m like I never saw thankfulness and gratitude in here, it just reminds me of that. But as we go through our days in this we might be scared or uncertain about what’s going to happen.
I just think that God wants us to be thankful for what he’s given us and what we have and just how he’s providing for us every day. And you know, I was told this one time, “What if the only things you had today were the thing or the things that you thanked God for yesterday?” When I heard that I was like, “Oh I might not have very much because there’s a lot of times I’m not very thankful.”
When November comes around and we make like thankful trees and stuff, sure I write down all the things. But on a regular basis I don’t thank the Lord for very much. And so just right now, I’m thankful for so many things. I’m thankful for getting to on walks with my family and picking wildflowers. And I’m thankful that we have food to eat and shelter overhead. And I’m just seeing things through a different lens right now. I’m just thankful, thankful, thankful for all He’s given me and I don’t want to take any of that for granted.
One of my friends, Ashley, was teaching preschoolers and they’re writing down things that they were thankful for. And the little girl said, “Stairs.” And Ashley kind of tried to figure out what she meant. The girl just kept saying, “Stairs.” And now Ashley’s like, “Oh.” She told me that it was just a reminder to her to be thankful for even the simplest of things like stairs, because we know we all need them.
How to start a Gratitude Journal
So I just want to encourage you today, even though it’s not November, it’s not Thanksgiving. Get a sheet of paper out and write down all those things you’re thankful for. And when you start kind of going down that spiral rabbit hole, that dark place, remember what God has given you.
Remember to be thankful. He loves you and he just has so much for you. And when we just start feeling that pit of despair, remember, He’s a good God who loves you. Be thankful for all He’s given you. He gave you the blood of Christ to cover you.
I just want you to remember he loves you more than ever now. All right guys, take care. Have a great day.
