A Message by D. D. Lee
A Testimony of Healing and Gratitude
Before preaching on gratitude, D. D. Lee began with a testimony that captured the miraculous power of God at work in the lives of His people.
Earlier this year, Anita Lee was diagnosed with stage 3 cirrhosis of the liver and spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine that caused constant pain and limited her ability to walk or stand. Doctors spoke of transplants and clinical trials. The medications prescribed only worsened her condition—causing instability, shaking, and exhaustion.
After months of worsening health and no hope from medical science, she and her husband came to a Wednesday night service at North Cities, desperate for God’s touch. As they were leaving the sanctuary, Vince Stegall approached them and said, “I have a word from the Lord for you—be healed.”
They clung to that word.
Soon after, Anita’s test results came back. Her liver enzymes—previously off the charts—returned to normal. Doctors called it a phenomenon. The Lees called it what it truly was: a miracle.
Their story became a living example of what D.D. Lee would teach next: true gratitude begins in the heart but must be expressed in action.
Gratitude vs. Thanksgiving
In his message “Gratitude From the Heart,” D. D. Lee drew a powerful distinction between gratitude and thanksgiving:
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Gratitude is the inward feeling of appreciation—a deep, internal acknowledgment of God’s blessings.
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Thanksgiving is the outward expression of that gratitude—praise, prayer, and service that glorify God.
“Gratitude is being thankful. Thanksgiving is doing thankful.” — D. D. Lee
Gratitude is the seed; thanksgiving is the fruit.
Gratitude is what you feel; thanksgiving is what you give.
He explained that a grateful heart is content, resting in what God has done, while a thankful heart is helpful, showing love and generosity toward others. One delights in the gift; the other honors the Giver.
Turning Gratitude Into Action
D. D. Lee challenged the church to take the next step: to turn quiet appreciation into visible expression.
We often thank God inwardly for His goodness but fail to express it outwardly through worship, service, or acts of kindness. A grateful heart without thanksgiving, he said, is incomplete.
“Gratitude recognizes the gifts of God.
Thanksgiving glorifies God through loving expression toward others.”
Our gratitude should never end with “thank You.” It should flow into how we live, how we love, and how we serve.
When gratitude stays silent, it remains a feeling.
When it finds its voice, it becomes worship.
Thanksgiving Is Gratitude in Action
To live with gratitude from the heart is to cultivate a lifestyle that pleases God.
Gratitude means we are pleased with God’s blessings.
Thanksgiving means we offer what pleases Him.
That’s why Scripture continually calls us to “give thanks in all things”—because giving thanks is how we align our hearts with His will.
D. D. Lee reminded the North Cities family that God’s blessings are not meant to make us proud, but to make us praise.
Gratitude without thanksgiving stops with self-satisfaction.
Gratitude expressed through thanksgiving brings glory to God.
Living in Gratitude
The Lees’ miracle and message converge on one truth: God is good, and He deserves our thanks.
When we remember what He’s done—when we recount His faithfulness, healing, and mercy—our hearts can’t help but overflow with gratitude. But gratitude was never meant to stay silent. It was meant to shine.
So as we enter this season of thanksgiving in the North Dallas and Collin County area, let’s do more than just feel grateful—
Let’s live it. Speak it. Show it.
Because true thanksgiving is gratitude in action.
