Morning Coffee With Michael E. Wells

A Thankful Heart

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1 NIV) One of life’s most important lessons is that of being grateful. Out of humility and thankfulness comes contentment and fulfillment in life. Not in the sense of doing, but in being. The world measures success by accomplishments, but as we know, our lives can be full of activities on the outside and void in the sense of value on the inside.

The Bible makes clear our mindset in life. It states we are to “love mercy, to do justly and to walk humbly with our God.” Simplicity in life’s purpose brings peace and contentment in a world of chaos and uncertainty. We are to “take joy in the God of our salvation.” It will take us to a state of mind and place of the heart where life makes sense and our efforts worthwhile. Truly you and God make a majority, you do not struggle alone.

To have a thankful heart is not one who is pollyannic confronting problems, believing none exist but one who does not forget whose they are when life happens, for “God keeps those in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on Him.” Life is mind over matter. The mind of Christ over matters of the heart. King David writes, “I would have despaired unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13 AMP) So believes a thankful heart. May yours be this morning.

Never Too Late

As we look back on our lives, we will regret more what we did not do than what we did. Opportunities missed through neglect or complacency. Timidness or feeling inadequate could have won the day and caused you to lose a lifetime pursuit. But it is not too late. Not too late to still hear the call to be someone’s answer, to bring help, and be someone’s hope. Almost daily there are opportunities to meet needs, be they family, friends, or strangers.

The older we get, the more we will look back on our lives, the choices made, paths taken, and those dismissed. Maybe some good ones and maybe some not, but that was then, and this is now. The question before us all is what will I do today. With the time I have left, what choices will I make? Today, be that one who takes a hand and meets a need. Someone who holds a heart while they grieve over a loss.

Lasting impact does not have to come from long endeavors but can happen in a moment of compassion, forever etched on someone’s heart. It is not too late for you. Though you may have lived the greater part of your life, there are still 24 hours in a day given to us all equally. In time, may you look back at these days and say of them, “I made good choices, helped needy people, comforted lonely hearts, and made lasting friends. I put myself out there to be used by God and I was blessed for the doing.”

With God, it is never too late. For He doesn’t need your gifts, talents, or abilities. God just needs your heart, soul, and availability.

Thanksgiving and Forgiveness

And so it begins, for all of us, the next few weeks will be the most joyous and the most stressful time of the whole year. We will have a longing in our hearts for those we seldom see and a sadness in our hearts for those we will never see again this side of heaven. It is a time to be thankful for the things and people we may have taken for granted. A time to forgive those who have mistreated us in the past, not because they deserve it but because of the forgiveness we have received from heaven when we did not deserve it either.

It is a season of release from all that has held you back, all that keeps you from being who you should be. A time to remember what is important in this life. Life is a journey, not a destination. As we pass through, we touch countless lives for all eternity. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that there is another life coming, one that can be touched by what we do in this one. We need to judge our actions in light of heaven.

One day, we will have a new body there and then, but today we can have a new heart here and now. A heart that desires to love and forgive, to comfort and care. A heart that has been touched by the One Who gave it. This season, release the hurt and heal the heart, forgive the wrong, and make it right. This time, may it be for good and for God. And if you have received that new heart, you can speak the greatest words of thanksgiving and forgiveness ever spoken when you say, “Thank you Jesus for forgiving me.”

Michael Wells

Michael E. Wells has a passion for writing letters of Christian encouragement. With poetic style and moving messages, the reader is often comforted and consoled, inspired, and refreshed. Since his retirement from Federal Service in 2006, most mornings are spent penning letters of the heart. Tucked away in the foothills of Pennsylvania, he leads an idyllic lifestyle in a pastoral setting. This backdrop helps to set both mood and message for his many writings. You can find his book, “Morning Coffee with Words For The Day” at Amazon.com.

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