How To Cultivate A Thankful Heart
"When we focus on all we've been given,
we see that we have been given so much."
Thanksgiving always inspires me to reflect on all God's goodness in my life. It's a time to recognize and appreciate the kindness of others, express gratitude for those things that I might otherwise overlook because of my daily responsibilities and our busy schedules. It's a meaningful opportunity to cultivate a thankful heart with your children.
In the fall, one of my favorite activities is creating a thankfulness chart. Each year, we hang up 4 large pieces of white construction paper, one for each member of the family. Day by day we add one thing we're thankful for in different colored markers. And, by the end of the month, our colorful display is overflowing with praise and gratitude. It's a continual reminder throughout the month of all the things we're thankful for and it develops in each of us, a heart of appreciation.
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In Hebrews, God encourages us to "...spur one another on toward love and good deeds..." (Hebrews 10:24 NIV) We are to "consider" how we are to do this. It's not just a flash-in-the-pan, spontaneous gesture, instead we are to intentionally think at length and really mull over ways we can help each other show love and selflessly serve those around us.
To get you started, we've come up with 15 ideas to help you cultivate a thankful heart because we know that developing a truly thankful heart and building an awareness of others takes time and intentionality.
Create a thankfulness chart.
Read through Bible verses on being thankful.
Write a note of thanks to someone in your life (grandparent, instructor, coach, friend, pastor or neighbor).
Pray with a spirit of thankfulness; reflecting on who God is & all He's done.
Create a gratitude journal.
Explain the reason for having a thankful heart: it blesses others; it allows joy to remain in us; it transports us from being "us"-centered; it reminds us to be "God"-centered; and it helps us realize the object of our thanks...we are to “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good....” ~Psalm 106:1 NIV
Reflect on stories from your past where you have been helped by someone, perhaps someone offered you assistance (a mentor helped you in a time of crisis, a neighbor did something to make your day a little brighter, a friend gave you a special gift).
Do a cultural study of other nations’ celebrations to develop an understanding of their traditions of giving thanks .
Write out verses that express a spirit of thankfulness for copywork.
Take turns expressing gratitude at the dinner table each night. This works great in conjunction with the thankfulness chart since children like to read and/or share what they wrote earlier in the day.
Teach your children how to serve others. While you're teaching them this valuable life skill, you can teach them a handicraft of napkin folding or how to create a beautiful centerpiece or bake a holiday pie your guests will love.
Read to your children stories of: gratitude, sharing and serving others.
Take a nature walk as a family and share something you appreciate about your husband and each of your children (and while you do this, take some fall family photos to remember this special occasion).
With your children, cut out a paper turkey (find a simple template online) and on it's feathers, write out something you're thankful for on each feather. Hang it up near the breakfast table so that you can see it every morning.
Read and re-enact the story of the first Thanksgiving.
This post contains affiliate links.
Any purchases made using these links will provide HSMoms applicable compensation.
Thank you for your generosity.
"In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
For more ideas on reaching out and bringing "sunshine into the lives of others", visit
