I heard a story about a young man named John who received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird’s mouth was rude and obnoxious. John tried to change the bird’s attitude by consistently saying polite words and playing soft music. He tried everything he could think of to “clean up” the bird’s vocabulary.
Finally, John had enough. He was angry and yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back.
John, in desperation, threw up his hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total silence. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.
Fearing that he’d hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John’s outstretched arms and said, “I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I’m sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior.”
John was stunned at the change in the bird’s attitude. Just as he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, “May I ask what the turkey did?”
Oftentimes, an attitude of gratitude simply requires perspective. It’s easy to become preoccupied with self and absorbed with an entitlement mindset. Take a moment and consider how good you really have it. There are so many others who are far worse off than you and I are. Let’s make the most of this Thanksgiving Season by expressing our gratitude for what God has already done and look for ways to help those who are less fortunate that we are.
When you’re in the freezer, be sure to look at the turkey. ☺
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