Thankful for Today Before the Light Turns Green

Hey, carpool crew. Happy Saturday. I'm so thankful you're joining us. I'm Pastor Justin, and here's a question. Have you ever been in the car, stuck at a red light, just waiting for it to turn green? You can feel it coming, the moment you'll finally get to go. But right now, you're just sitting there waiting, watching, maybe even feeling a little bored or impatient. You know what? Life can feel a lot like that. Sometimes we wake up, jump in the car, we rush to school, rush home, rush to practice, and sometimes we forget to slow down and thank God before the day turns green. Now, here's our verse today. It's from Psalm 118 verse 24. This is the day the Lord has made. Let's rejoice and be glad in it. This verse reminds us that every single day is a gift. Today, tomorrow, even a regular Tuesday. God made this day and before you hit go, he wants you to pause and rejoice in it. That means to celebrate, to stop for a second and say, thank you, God, for this day you made. The psalmist who wrote those words, he was probably having one of those wait and trust kind of days. Life wasn't perfect, but he still chose to say, this is the day the Lord has made. Not because everything was easy, but because he trusted that God was still good. If Jesus were sitting right next to you at the red light, I think he'd smile and lean over and say, before the light turns green, before your day speeds up, take a moment to thank God the Father for the gift of time, for the gift of today. Gratitude isn't just for big stuff in our lives. It's for all the little moments too. Hey, imagine you're running late to school. You're in the car with your family, your backpack's on your lap or on your floor, and you're thinking about everything that's coming up. Maybe there's a test, maybe there's a lunch. Maybe you're not sure what's for lunch. Maybe you have soccer practice later, and then homework. It's easy to start worrying about or rushing through the day in your mind, but what if instead you took a deep breath and said, thank you, God, for today, thank you for my family. Thank you that you're with me. See, that short prayer can totally change your attitude even before you get to school. Here's something really simple you can try by yourself or with your family before you launch into the road on any day. You could start tomorrow. Just say a quick prayer together. Something that sounds like this. God, thank you for this day you made, help me make the most of it. It's so simple. It doesn't have to be long. It doesn't have to be fancy, just honest, thankful. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And hey parents, if you're enjoying the podcast, maybe post about it on Instagram or share it in a Facebook group. I would love for other families to discover carpooling with Jesus. Now, before you go answer this question together, what's one thing you can thank God for before your day gets busy? I'll see you tomorrow on carpooling with Jesus.