by Keith Wommack
I remember my brother and I staring at the calendars on the wall. Three months of blank calendars. We managed our own band. The band members had wives and small children. If we didn’t find shows for the band, no one could pay their bills. What to do?
Be grateful. That was our plan. It worked. There were some tense and fearful days. But, month after month for ten years the calendars filled up. We played 200 shows each year until I quit the band to go into the full time practice of Christian Science healing.
The plan wasn’t a new one. Jesus worked it to perfection. Before he raised Lazarus from the grave, he expressed gratitude. He basically prayed, “Father, I’m grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I’ve spoken so that they might believe that you sent me.” Then he called the dead man out of the tomb. Basically, he didn’t give him a choice. And Lazarus walked out.
He did it again when the massive crowd around him was hungry. Jesus made the people sit down. And they sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted. Jesus showed that gratitude multiplies blessings.
My brother and I tried to follow Jesus’ example. We saw that gratitude multiplied our blessings, time and again. We learned that gratitude created the circumstances and opportunities. The circumstances didn’t make us grateful. Being grateful that God had made us to express Him enabled us to know, even when things looked slim, that God’s wisdom was directing our events; His fullness was revealing itself through our busy schedule; His satisfaction was expressed in our careers being infused with the best opportunities.
Being grateful before the blessing opened our thought to God’s unlimited opportunities and circumstances. We were able to perform shows with some of the biggest acts touring at the time. And we were given the opportunity to act with some of the biggest stars in a movie, as well.
We found the benefits to both sides of gratitude-before the healing and after. Before opens thought. When we are receptive, God’s infinite and boundless good meets and surpasses the human need and expectations. And after completes the circuit in a healing. Giving thanks for the blessings received acknowledges God as their source and readies us for ever more.
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This is really wonderful and amazing. Love this. Thank you.
Keith:
Another good blog.
“Be glad, give thanks, rejoice!”
Doug
HI Keith, This is a perfect Thanksgiving Day blessing. Thanks for sharing with all of us. God hears us before we call. He knows our need, even before we do and we are blessed along with all the others we love and know and even those we don’t know.
Thank you, Keith.
This post really touched me and I’ve gained new insight on how to practice gratitude. It is really meeting a need.
Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!
What a GREAT reminder:
The plan wasn’t a new one. Jesus worked it to perfection.
Keith,
It is wonderful to know that the act of being grateful can heal the world and each of us individually. It relieves us from having to figure out how to make things happen ourselves. We aren’t responsible for setting up success or abundance or good health or anything that is good. God has it all covered and the only responsibility we have is to just BE GRATEFUL!
Thank you, Keith for reminding us in a way that speaks to all of us. What a timely reminder.