Read: Psalm 118:24-29; Isaiah 43:19-21

Sawyer was kicking the soccer ball around in the front yard when his dad drove up.

“Hey, Sawyer-man,” Dad said as he got out of the car. “How’s it going?”

Sawyer shrugged. “I don’t think I did well on my spelling test at school today. And it was supposed to be my turn to feed the class hamster, but Jasper said it was his turn. Then I spilled my milk all over the lunch table. And I have tons of homework!” He sighed. “So, not that great.”

“I’m sorry you had a rough day,” Dad said. “Wanna talk about it?”

Sawyer poked at a mound in the grass with his foot. “Maybe later.”

“Well, remember you can talk to God about it too,” said Dad. “He wants to hear about your problems—and even on tough days, He wants to hear you say thank you to Him too.”

Sawyer wrinkled his forehead. “He does?”

Dad nodded. “Some days you may not feel like it, but that’s when you need to do it the most. Start by telling Him how you’re feeling and why, and then say thank you to Him. Thank Him for loving you and for sending Jesus to save you. Thank Him for the blessings in your life. Even when things are difficult, you can be thankful because of the joy Jesus gives you.”

Dad scooped up the soccer ball. “Time for some Super-Sawyer praise!” he exclaimed as he pretended to flex his muscles. “Ready?” He tossed the ball at Sawyer. “I’m thankful you’re my son!” he shouted.

Sawyer caught the ball. “I’m thankful I’m your son too!” He tossed the ball back to Dad.

“Is that a smile I see?” Dad asked with a grin as he threw the ball to Sawyer.

Sawyer knee-bumped the ball back to Dad. “I’m thankful I can play outside.”

“I’m thankful we can talk to Jesus anytime,” Dad said, stopping the ball with his foot and then kicking it back to Sawyer.

Sawyer and Dad kept the ball going back and forth as they shouted out things they were thankful for. With each toss and kick of the ball and each thank you to God, Sawyer started to feel lighter somehow. He decided he was going to start saying thank you to Jesus a whole lot more.

–Kelly Hope

How about you? Have you ever had a day when things just didn’t seem to go right? Get out some crayons or markers and start making your own thank-you list. When you’re finished, post the list where you can see it every day. This will help remind you that there’s always something to thank Jesus for.

Today's Key Verse: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Praise and thank God