Our family has enjoyed filling out our Gratitude Journals the past few weeks & I thought it might be interesting to compare ours with King David’s list captured in his thoughts in the 103^rd Psalm.

King David opens with thanking God for forgiving all of our sins.  Presuming that David is writing this in his later years, perhaps we should be encouraged by his confidence that our God is indeed a God who completely & totally forgives the repentant sinner.

Aside: Ouch.  David’s list already makes mine seem a bit lame.  (Admittedly, my enthusiasm for beagles could be considered a tad over-the-top.) It’s like a flashback to when I was in 3^rd Grade Sunday School & our teacher, Mr. Reynolds, asked as an icebreaker question, “What would you like for Christmas?”  I excitedly/rapidly answered, “A GI-Joe action figure with the Kung Fu grip.”  My classmate (& long-time churchly nemesis), Tami, was next & responded, “Peace in Jesus’ hometown.”  Sigh.

David then thanks God for healing all of our diseases.  This is puzzling since we know that God doesn’t magically heal our broken bodies.  While we understand that disease is often used as a metaphor for sinfulness, perhaps David is also thanking God for our body’s amazing ability to heal & mend.  Our younger son, Jacob, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes this past June listed Drs. Minkowski & von Mering in his gratitude journal for discovering insulin in 1889 - giving him the gift of a healthier life 128 years later.

King David is also grateful for God redeeming his life from the pit.  The pit, in David’s time, could refer to Sheol – the world of the dead.  With Christ’s selfless sacrifice on the cross, we know that our savior will redeem our life & we have nothing to fear as we walk through the valley.

Aside: Yipes – that’s another strong entry from David.  If we asked the boys what they were grateful for before eating dinner, we found their responses focused on that evening’s menu – meat loaf, spaghetti, or beef stroganoff.  In our defense, perhaps it is okay to be appreciative of food & to not take it for granted.  When the boys were little guys they’d say grace & conclude by clapping their hands & shouting, “Yea God!”  Maybe, this view of mealtime could even increase our appreciation for that Swanson TV Dinner of Chopped Sirloin Beef (with tater tots!).

David is grateful for a God who crowns us with love & compassion.  Being a king, David knows what he is talking about.  But instead of boasting crowns of jewels & gold, David is delighted to share in God’s crown of love & mercy.  Perhaps we need a reminder that there is no greater honorific/earthly title than to have God say, “Well done, good & faithful servant” – though Matthew’s appreciation for being Co-Vice President of CORis is also worthy of note.

Finally, David’s journal concludes with gratitude to God for satisfying our desires with good things.  As we think of good things, maybe we need to go old school.  Doris’ gratitude for the sunshine definitely makes sense as we endure Daylight Savings Time.  (“Up before the sun” used to be something to brag about; now, not so much.)  Maybe we should focus on the many pleasant things of our daily existence: laughter, multi-colored leaves, noisy children playing, a phenomenal hymn in worship, a good mystery novel, or even that gift for a loved one that you “just can’t wait” to give.

You know, in retrospect, David’s list was definitely awesome.  But what ours might have lacked in quality, perhaps the quantity in our Gratitude Journal might tighten the gap.  To paraphrase Police Chief Brody from the 1975 movie, Jaws, “Looks like we’re gonna’ need a bigger book.”

Editor: The actual quote is “Looks like we’re gonna’ need a bigger boat.”   Scheider, Roy, perf. Jaws.  Universal Pictures, 1975. Film.