Thanksgiving is coming up; it’s not too far away. I’d like to share a story with you about gratitude. I have concluded that gratitude is good for the soul. Let me illustrate.

Not too long ago, my wife and I decided that our youngest daughter, Shaina, needed some extra help with her prayers. She’s 4-years old.

One morning as Shaina woke up, my wife asked me to come in and have prayers with her. I – I was eager to do it.

I went in, I knelt by her bed, and I invited her to join me in prayer. But she didn’t want to. This was not part of her routine to have personal morning prayers. Her older sister was in the room, so I figured that – well – maybe some privacy might help. So I suggested that we go to my room, and try it there.

Well, reluctantly she followed me. We went in my room, I knelt by my bed, but she refused to join me. I coaxed and I coaxed until finally she came and knelt down beside me. But it was with that attitude that says, “Okay Dad, I’ll do this to humor you, but could you get it over with? I have things to do.”

I was just about to begin helping her with the prayer, when an idea suddenly struck me. I hoped to my feet and I said, “Come on, Shaina, I want to show you something.”

I opened up the door going out onto my second story deck, and I picked her up and carried her out.

It was a gorgeous autumn morning. The air was frosty, crisp, and clean. The magnificent colors of a rising sun were displayed in the east. Birds were sounding. It was – it was beautiful! I was one of those mornings that makes a soul just glad to be alive.

One by one, I pointed out each of these things to her. She blew out her breath and she watched it. She listened intently to the call of the birds. She stared intently at the colors of the dawn.

Then, as I held her, I said, “Honey, it’s going to be a beautiful day! And Heavenly Father has given it to us. That’s why we should pray in the morning – to tell Him thanks for things like this.”

For a moment, she didn’t say anything. She just kind of looked around. Then she hugged me, and pressed her check against mine. It seemed to me that she understood what I was trying to say.

We went back inside and knelt by the bed. This time there was not the least bit of reluctance on her part, and there was no want for things to be grateful for.

It was a sweet learning experience in gratitude for both of us – I think, mostly me.