As Gaither.com continues our November emphasis on gratitude, we have a special Q & A with Mark Lowry, who admits he has to work hard at remembering to be grateful.
The latest Gaither Vocal Band CD featured a brand new song called “Attitude of Gratitude.” Mark wrote the lyric, and Benjy Gaither wrote the music (with a little cheerleading from Bill). So, we asked Mark to finish a few sentences about having an “attitude of gratitude.” His responses are below in italics.
I wrote “Attitude of Gratitude” because:
Well I was on vacation with the Gaithers up in Nantucket when I heard a television preacher say, “You need a gratitude attitude!” I had never heard it put like that. I remembered the old phrase, “attitude of gratitude” but I didn’t remember ever hearing a song called “Attitude of Gratitude” so I started writing the lyric. Then I showed it to Bill and asked him what he thought, and he got all excited!
When Bill gets excited about something like that – a lyric or a song – I get excited, too! So I finished the lyric and took it to Bill and Benjy [Gaither]. Benjy grabbed his guitar and we started finishing it. Bill was lying in a hammock and Benjy was sitting in a chair and I was out in the yard right there in Nantucket when we finished it!
Gratitude at any age is important because…
An attitude of gratitude is important because it puts everything into perspective. If you just realize that every perfect gift is from God, and even the bad things He allows to make us more like Him, we can be grateful for everything!
Children need to learn it, but really you’re always learning it. I have to remind myself to be grateful! And it’s hardest to be grateful when I’m tired.
I was reading in John 4 last night about the woman at the well, and it said that Jesus was worn out and still he gave her living water. He was worn out physically and he was thirsty – he asked her for a drink – but he had water that she needed. So he ended up giving her a drink and Jesus never did get his drink as far as I know!
Of all the friends in my life, I’m most grateful for…
Those who teach me stuff. I love being around people who know something about God that I don’t, like Vestal and Gloria and others that I have known through the years whose names you wouldn’t know who invested in me. I am grateful for them, and I’m grateful for the God I’ve learned to love because of people who introduced me to sides of Him I had never seen!
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Did you miss Part 1? Click here to read Bill’s letter of gratitude.