My husband and I have been privileged to spend time in Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated and poorest countries of the world.

Nothing could have fully prepared us for the culture shock we were to encounter there — it was one of the most impactful experiences of our lives.

On our first visit to Dhaka, in central Bangladesh, we stepped off the plane and were quickly swept into the crowded stream of brown bodies wrapped in colorful garments.

Pungent smells and the loud hum of conversations in an unfamiliar language surrounded us. Our good friend, Charlie, met us and confidently guided us through the crush of people who were just as curious about us as we were about them.

Driving through the capital city was surreal.

Scores of men peddling rickshaws jostled for space between brightly painted buses and modern cars, boys expertly prodded cows through the traffic, dogs roamed about, horns blared, people shouted and beggars crowded in, knocking on the windows to attract our attention.

As we drove along, absorbing the new sights, the traffic suddenly stopped. I noticed a man hoisting a huge sack of rice onto his back from a cart.

As he staggered under the weight, a small stream of rice trickled onto the ground.

Suddenly, a frail elderly woman scurried over to kneel on the dirt, scrambled to pick up the grains of rice, and carefully wrapped them in her sari. As quickly as the scene unfolded, the traffic jam shifted and we lurched forward, leaving them behind.

Stunned by what I had just seen, I described it to the others. Charlie explained that she was a beggar woman and those scavenged grains of rice would likely be her only meal that day.

Now, years later, the image of that woman is still burned in my mind.

Since that day, my gratefulness runs much deeper, and I frequently feel overwhelmed by our abundance. A visitor from another country was once asked what impressed him most about our nation.

His answer was, “What you throw away.”

The good news is that our attitudes can be changed and adjusted.

Webster’s Dictionary defines gratitude as “thankful appreciation.” We can and should learn to purposefully practice gratitude. The Apostle Paul speaks of that very thing, writing in Philippians 4:11-13, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him (God) who gives me strength.”

We all have an internal climate. What we give our mind over to and cultivate inside will root and grow, eventually producing fruit in our lives. Jesus said that, out of the abundance or overflow of our heart, our mouth speaks.

We can overflow with thankfulness or we can overflow with selfishness and negativity, but we each have an overflow.

Sometimes, we subconsciously qualify our contentment, making it dependent on a person or acquiring something we want or our next accomplishment.

But true contentment is not dependent on a person or our circumstances, things, or accomplishments.

When we give our life to Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit comes to reside within our spirit, and He gives us a new nature — changing us from the inside out.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness,” Colossians 2:6-7.

Overflowing with thankfulness is our heart’s response to God’s great love and provision for us. We are each blessed in so many simple but big ways, like food on the table, clean running water, a roof over our head, a bed to sleep in, and the list goes on. There is always something to be thankful for.

Here is an important key: We give thanks not based on our feelings, but based on who God is and in acknowledgment of His many blessings. We give thanks for His mercy and the forgiveness of our sins. We give thanks for His faithfulness, love, and grace, for His abiding presence, wisdom, strength, and guidance.

As we practice giving thanks, our eyes are opened to recognize His blessings even more fully. As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving, may our hearts overflow with gratitude.

Michelle Smith serves alongside her husband, Gary, as part of the leadership team of New Life Christian Fellowship. She founded Purely Women Ministries with the purpose of helping women of all ages discover their true identity as women of God. A fifth generation Alpena native, she counts it a privilege to live in northern Michigan and enjoys flower gardening, canoeing, rustic camping and all things outdoors. She can be reached at church@newlifealpena.org.