Its effectiveness and strength are well captured in the lyrics of Johnny Lang’s “Thankful”…

Someone’s standing in a welfare line
Or off the freeway with a hungry sign
Someone’s stressing ‘bout to lose their mind
I gotta be thankful, thankful

Someone just became a single mother
Someone just lost a sister or brother
It’s so important that we love each other
And be

Thankful, thankful
I’ve gotta take the time to say, that I’m
Thankful, thankful
For every single breath that I take
I’ve gotta be thankful, thankful

Someone’s sitting in a prison cell
Wasting away in their own personal hell
Everybody’s got their own story to tell
I’ve gotta be thankful, thankful

Man, I used to think I didn”t have a lot
Now I realize just how much I”ve got
Now every day I’m gonna take the time and stop to be

Thankful Chorus

Any one of these so easily could have been me
But if it had not been for grace and mercy who knows where I’d be

I’ve been riding on this roller coaster ride
Round and round I’ve seen the up and downside
And I’m here to tell you that the secret of life is being

Thankful Chorus

Songwriters: Maxwell Andrew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders, Jonny Lang. Lyrics are property of its respective owners.