Give Thanks and See

“For of all the things our minds can think about God, it is thinking upon his goodness that pleases him most and BRINGS THE MOST PROFIT to our souls.” One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp

Every December I pray about what “word” God wants me to focus on for the upcoming year. Oh my, the lessons that have come from that word.

2010 “simplicity,

2011 “intentionality”,

2012 “PAIN and JOY” (that was a ROUGH year).  And coming out of one of the hardest years of my life…”Gratitude”

At first I tried to argue with God about this word. It’s easy to be thankful when life is going great, but what about when you’re in the middle of tragedy?  At the time,  I was a wreck. I was still grieving the death of my precious grandmother. It was also post-house fire. Physically weak and emotionally exhausted , counseling sessions became the lifeline of my week.  We were living in a small rental house, with borrowed furniture and boxes full of smokey-water damaged possessions filling our garage. Nothing was familiar and GRIEF was thick. How could I show “GRATITUDE” when much of our life on earth had gone up in flames?

But slowly, God reframed my view. The circumstances were the same, but all around me the challenge was not to focus on what we LACKED, but what we HAD. This viewpoint changed my life.

I received many gifts after the fire, but ironically two books (from separate people) came in the mail a week apart. “Choosing Gratitude” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp.  Coincidence? I think not!

I sensed God challenging me to become disciplined about recording my gifts. To write down and speak out the GOOD that I was seeing around me even though there was plenty of bad. This was hard- and those who know me really well and remember walking that road with me know that it was not all roses (and neither was my attitude). But the faithful consistency of reflecting on what I was THANKFUL for turned a tumultuous year into a year of richness where we saw God’s presence in the little details. God gave us One thousand + gifts.

Funny side note:  2013- God also began opening doors for me to speak! WHAT?!?  At least 8 times that year I was asked to come and speak to various groups.  I was “THE FIRE SURVIVOR” and almost every speaking engagement  asked me to speak about  GRATITUDE.  I couldn’t get away from it even if I tried! I had to study it. I had to speak about it.  I was challenged to live it.

When I cried tears of loss over special items gone- I wrote down “Thankful our LIVES weren’t lost”

When I was mad at my husband (yes, that happens occasionally) I’d write down – “Thankful he’s still with me,” Writing down the good about him would change the negative mindset I had let set in. Gratitude is a marriage game-changer.

When I was exhausted and without energy I’d write- “Thankful for friends who carry me. Thankful for other mamas who can care for my kids when I can’t”

And friends, the year of Gratitude showed me that giving thanks in all circumstances really IS God’s will for us.

GRATITUDE: It breathes life and HOPE and joy into our weary bones.

We don’t have to thank God FOR yucky circumstances, but we can learn to thank God IN those circumstances.  He never changes. He is always with us. He goes before us and hems us in from behind. HE is the one we can be grateful for.  And gratitude changes our perspective!There is always something or someone(s) to be thankful for.  .

I wanna be a person of gratitude. Don’t you?

    It’s a choice, every day, every moment. To focus on what we have versus what we don’t 

Maybe our”Thanksgiving” holiday needs to last for a YEAR instead of just a day.

Join me in the mission of gratitude.

A woman of Gratitude: “It’s not that they have the fewest problems, or the cleanest histories, or the most obvious reasons for happiness. They’re simply the ones who are “loudest” about giving thanks, who are not always reciting a long list of problems, complaints, and criticisms, but who choose to be grateful.  They know they’ve already been given more than life could ever cost them. The Lord keeps them full despite the world’s best attempts at depleting them. And they don’t mind telling you about it.”  Choosing Gratitude, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.