May I Have A Thankful Heart

It’s so easy to be thankful
When our barns are brimming o’er,
When earth’s harvest fills our table,
Doting friends knock at our door.

It’s so easy to be thankful
When our way is bright and fair,
When we walk in perfect wholeness,
And we have enough to spare.

But what about the barren times
When thick darkness clouds our day;
Do we offer God thanksgiving
For the trials that come our way?

For our earthly tribulations
Are true blessings from God’s hand,
For there are lessons to be learned
That adversities demand.

So may I have a thankful heart,
One that’s full of grateful praise.
May I recognize God’s blessings
Come disguised in diff’rent ways.

©Linda J. Stevenson
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeri2mm/poetofhope/