Breathing is a complicated process. It requires physiological precision, and the average person takes about twenty-three thousand breaths a day. And while we’re inclined to thank God for everything that takes our breath away, maybe we should also thank Him for all of our other breaths. In 2000, Pastor Ed Dobson was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a degenerative disease with no known cause or cure. Sharing his ongoing struggle to be thankful while living with an incurable condition, Dobson writes: ‘There are many things for which I am not grateful! I can no longer button…my shirt. I can no longer put on a heavy jacket…[or] raise my right hand above my head. I can no longer write…[or] eat with my right hand. I eat with my left hand, and now even that is becoming a challenge. And over time…these challenges will get worse…So what in the world do I have to be grateful for? So much. Lord, thank you for waking me up this morning…that I can still turn over in bed…that I can still get out of bed…that I can walk to the bathroom…that I can still brush my teeth…that I can still eat breakfast…that I can still dress myself…that I can still drive my car…that I can still walk…Thank you that I can still talk…The list goes on…I have learned…to focus on what I can do, not on what I can’t do. I have learned to be grateful for the small things in life and for the many things I can still do.’ What do you have to be thankful for? ‘Give thanks in all circumstances.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.