How can being thankful change your life? It may sound like such a little thing – just a feeling – but it literally changes everything! In his book 212 The Extra Degree, Sam Parker explained the power of little things, like being thankful, using this analogy:

“At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils, and with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train. One degree. Applying one extra degree of temperature to water means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine.”

The key words inside this great quote are very small. . . Simply “one degree.” The one-degree difference.  Such a little change. And this is precisely the point. Sometimes our lives can be dynamically affected simply by making one little change. And the Bible says one little thing we can all do is to be thankful.

For example, before the virus shutdown and social distancing, the economy was thriving. It seemed like most people took their job for granted. After the virus hit, 17 million Americans filed for unemployment and suddenly, people were thankful for work, thankful for food and thankful they could make their house payments.

Another example of the power of being thankful might be found in my good friends, we’ll call Bill and Betty, who always seemed too busy working long, hard hours. Even when they were in the same room they still seemed to be distant from each other, and strangely their conversations never said the words “we,” as they each talked only about themselves.  Life went on this way for years until suddenly, Betty said Bill didn’t want to be with her anymore. Can you imagine how their lives would have been different if they had shown true appreciation and thankfulness to each other over the years? By the time they realized how far apart they had drifted, it was too late.

As any airplane pilot will tell you, being just one degree off course will take you somewhere you didn’t plan to go. On the other hand, showing just a little bit of gratitude each day can water a relationship and encourage it to grow.

Yes – this is the impact of the one-degree difference. It can be as simple as waking up and going to work versus waking up and taking just a minute to thank God before going to work. One way pays the bills and keeps hot water in the shower. The other way creates steam and gives power to our lives. The difference can be summed up as thankfulness to God which is shown by a thankful life with each other.

Being thankful can be an enormous one-degree difference. It’s just a little thing – but it is everything at the same time! Let’s start right now by raising a hand and saying, “Thank you my amazing God for loving me so very much. Help me, Jesus, to always be thankful and to live out that gratitude in the way I treat others.”