“Every thanks has a genealogy, and when you understand the backstory of the blessing, saying thanks becomes that much more enjoyable. Your thanks takes on new dimensions, new authenticity.”- Mark Batterson
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power, or ever and ever.’ “- Revelation 5:13 (NIV)
Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 13 of Please Sorry Thanks as he notes that the male wood thrush possesses the ability to harmonize. It sings two notes using both sides of his Y-shaped voice box. In addition, the brown thrasher has a repertoire of more than two thousand songs.
Most significantly, Pastor Batterson stresses the four-dimensional song of creation, as described in Revelation 5:13. Certainly, we may not be able to hear it. But it happens nonetheless. And according to German physicist and pianist Arnold Sommerfeld, every atom in the universe sings. In fact, a single hydrogen atom emits more frequencies than a grand piano.
As a result, the above facts conceived in Mark a conviction that every ology is a branch of theology. Because, he states, every square inch of creation reveals unique dimensions of God’s personality and creativity. So, the author asks, what are we waiting for? Delayed gratitude equates to ingratitude. Consequently, Mark underscores, God deserves our praise. Above all, He deserves our praise “every second of every minute of every hour of every day.”
In conclusion, Pastor Batterson queries, who:
- left their fingerprints on your soul?
- believed in you when no one else did?
- stayed present for you through thick and thin?
Furthermore, Mark exhorts:
“I can’t promise that gratitude will cure whatever ails you, but it’s a good place to start. Gratitude isn’t getting what you want, it’s appreciating what you have. . . . The antidote to stress is gratefulness. Maybe Ponce de Leon was looking in the wrong place. The fountain of youth isn’t a place. It’s the attitude of gratitude.”
Today’s question: What backstory of the blessing means the most to you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Standard of living or giving?”
