other kind. “If that is true,” I told my dad, “then surely you will be
on the front row when you get to heaven.”
“Well, I don’t think so,” he said thoughtfully. “If there’s any justice
at all, God will say, ‘Listen, Charlie, why don’t you spend a little time
in the back row of the balcony now that you’re here and let some of
these other fellas have a shot at the good seats? You already had a lot
of heaven when you were down on earth.”
Like my dad, all of us should be looking at our lives daily, finding
reasons for gratitude: things like the air in our lungs; the people in
our lives; the gift of prayer.
Gratitude may take a little practice if you don’t come by it natu-
rally. Here’s a simple suggestion on how to begin to school yourself
in the skill of thankfulness. Get a notebook and every morning in
God’s presence, pray like this: “Lord, show me my blessings. I want
to thank you. I want to have a grateful heart.” Trust me—he’ll an-
swer that one.
O Father, you are so awesome, so good. Don’t let us miss a single
blessing or a single reason for praise. Open our eyes and our hearts
to the goodness that you pour out on your people each day. Let our
gratitude grow more and more until our praise is as natural as
breathing. In Jesus’ name, amen.101 MOST POWERFUL PRAYERS IN THE BI BLE 139