Happy New Year! Yes, I know, it’s been a hot second since I’ve delivered a Media Monday post, but here we are in a new year with new beginnings.

God’s been teaching me about a lot of things lately, not all have been easy lessons. I’ve talked about gratitude a lot and thought that I’d been doing a pretty good job of offering thanks for all of my blessings, but as always, God is drawing me deeper and deeper into that understanding. I’m open to this change as I’ve learned that He only gives me just as much as my soul can hold. You can read more about those sacred barriers in this earlier post.

While driving a few weeks ago, this song by Brandon Lake came on and I found myself playing it over and over again. I sensed God wanted me to hear something more that I needed to know. The words “I know it’s not much, but I’ve nothing else fit for a King” jumped out at me. Here amid the Christmas season as we awaited the coming of the newborn King, God wanted to bring me to a deeper understanding of my gifts and my doubts about where to use them.

Despite an extremely peaceful season, I must admit, I was feeling kind of down about myself. Struggling with my health, new time management challenges, and a few unanswered prayers, I found myself edging toward a pity party and wondering if God was pleased with me at all. “What do I really have to offer”?

Suddenly, my mind slipped back in time, remembering a children’s book I read during Advent to my children called The Little Prince, by Charles Tazewell. The book tells the story of a little boy whose life had ended at the young age of 4 and who now was trying to find his way in the heavenly realm. He tried to be angelic, but there was still so much little boy left inside of him. After a talk with an “Understanding Angel”, he recognized that the thing that would make him feel better about his new life was a little box he’d left back on earth, and so the little brown box was returned to him. The box did indeed bring him joy and it was evident in his new attitude. Just around the same time, the news of the newborn King was announced and the angels were all a buzz trying to find the perfect gift that heaven could use to announce His birth. The littlest angel realized that he couldn’t sing or write and the only gift that he knew excited him was the beauty he found in the contents of the box. So, that became his gift to offer. He placed his box with the others then suddenly regretted his decision. His gift looked small and worthless compared to those of the other angels. He suddenly wished he could reclaim his shabby gift, but it was too late. The hand of God was already moving over all of the gifts and landed upon the shabby little box. The little angel hid his face and trembled in fear thinking, what kind of gift have I given this newborn King? But God was pleased with the contents of the box – the wing of a butterfly, a blue eggshell from a bird’s nest, and some little rocks. The story ends with God taking the box and transforming it with His light and the radiance of heaven into the bright star where the King would be born.

I began to realize that the beauty I see and feel compelled to write about begins with His very gifts to me. How I respond to those gifts, partnering with Him is what turns them into the light that He wants to share with the world. It all starts with the attitude of the heart and that attitude is gratitude.

I came across a quote several years ago that completely changed how I offer praise and thanksgiving to God and it’s changed everything, especially in the moments when life feels ordinary or paralyzing. God, the giver of good gifts is so deserving of our endless praise. Grab your FREE GRATITUDE TRACKER and get started today lifting your hands and voices daily in praise.