Read: Psalm 150

“What’s all the racket about?” Mom came out of her office and stood in the doorway of the living room. “You two have done nothing but fight and complain all afternoon.”

Asher and Olivia glared at each other silently.

“Praise the Lord!” Mom suddenly shouted. Asher and Olivia jumped in surprise. Mom smiled as the kids looked at her curiously. “You were yelling and complaining in loud voices, so I thought I’d praise the Lord in an equally loud voice.” She raised her voice again. “I’m thankful for the rain, aren’t you? It’s been so dry lately!”

“But Mom, when it rains, there’s nothing to do,” Asher said.

“I have an idea.” Mom went into her office and came back with paper and pencils. “Why don’t you make a praise list by writing down all the wonderful things God has done for us? Let’s have a praise day instead of a complaining day. Now, I have some work to finish up, but you can show me your lists before dinner tonight.”

Asher sighed as Mom went back into her office and shut the door. After a moment, he wrote, God helped me not miss the bus after school.

Olivia took a sheet of paper and wrote, God gives us food every day.

After working a little while, Asher said, “Hey, let’s tape our pages together to make one long sheet. Let’s see how long a list we can make.” The list was still growing when Dad got home.

“How was your day?” Mom asked him as she pulled a chicken pot pie out of the oven.

“Terrible,” he said. “First, the rain got my clothes all wet, and then—”

“Praise the Lord!” Asher shouted. Dad looked startled, and Asher grinned. “Mom says this should be a praise day.” He held up the list for his father to see.

“Come on, Dad,” said Olivia. “Praise the Lord for something. We’ll add it to our list.”

Dad grinned. “I praise the Lord for creating your mom,” he said. “I love her, and she teaches us to count our blessings—and blesses us with good food for dinner!”

Mom smiled. “And I praise Jesus for the best thing of all—dying on the cross for our sins!”

–Carol A. DeCesare

How about you? Do you complain when things don’t go your way? Sometimes difficult things happen that you need to talk about with someone, but there’s a big difference between sharing struggles and complaining about every little thing you don’t like. Instead of complaining, think about all the good things God has blessed you with and the people He’s put in your life—and most importantly, how He’s given you eternal life through Jesus!

Today's Key Verse: Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God…giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Praise instead of complaining