Why Write a Book about Being Thankful?
A few years ago, a young mother tried to commit suicide. By God’s grace she was unsuccessful. Because of a connection her family had with our church, the husband called me the next morning asking me to visit her in the hospital.
As I spoke with her, it became obvious that she was deeply depressed about her marriage and family. The doctors ordered she receive medication and professional counseling. She also asked that I visit her once a week.
Feeling overwhelmed by the situation, I asked a psychologist friend for help. He explained to me that depression is often anger turned inward. He suggested that she was so angry about the problems in her life she couldn’t see the good God had given her. Among other things, he advised me to have her keep a notebook by her bed.
Every morning and every evening, the young mother was to write down one good thing in her life – but each time it had to be something different. She couldn’t repeat the same blessing even once.
Over the next few weeks, as her list grew longer her attitude grew brighter. She began to notice all the blessings God had given her, especially God’s greatest gift of forgiveness. She began to see that even the problems were a part of God’s gracious plan for her life. She began to smile again. Soon she was weaned off the antidepressant medication.
That young mother was the inspiration for this book.
Are you depressed? Are you frustrated by the problems and struggles in your life? The secret to happiness isn’t to rid your life of problems. The secret to happiness isn’t getting what you want. The secret to happiness is recognizing what you have in Christ.
This book is about seeing what God has done for you.
An excerpt from the introduction of my new book, 364 Days of Thanksgiving, which will be released by Northwestern Publishing House and made available on Amazon.com on November 2nd.