Many of us see the holidays as a season to indulge in our favorite foods and reconnect with relatives but sometimes we forget about the importance of truly reflecting on what we’re thankful for.
Thanksgiving is over but are you still thankful? Some families have a tradition of sharing what they’re thankful for before sharing a meal together on Thanksgiving but I wonder, how many see the holiday season as an opportunity for giving thanks.
Webster’s dictionary defines thankful as, “conscious of benefit received.” It is my prayer that you see the rest of 2018 as, “The Season of Gratitude.” Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT), “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” I’m thankful because God continuously gives me strength! He creates a purpose and plan for me that I have no control over. I may not know what God has planned for me but I find peace in the unknown because I TRUST HIM!
Gratitude and contentment are the secrets to having a joyful life. Life is in HIS hands; it’s not about my agenda. Philippians 4:11 (NLT), “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”
Counting on joy while enduring storms will expand and elevate us to help others and broaden our parameters. No matter what happens I have learned to be content. No matter what stage you’re in, be content and thankful. Look deeper at your problems and you will see gifts, lessons and opportunities to grow! What you take for granted someone else is praying for.
Be thankful for whatever God gives you today and everyday. Don’t dismiss what God has given you. He has custom-made you, putting in you exactly what you need! Be confident in who God has made you to be! You’re NOT lacking nor are you disadvantaged. You have exactly what you need for where you are.
Don’t give up! Keep standing, praying, believing and hoping in faith. Don’t cast away your confidence, for pay-day is coming!! Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV), “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to preserve so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
You may not get your prayer answered in your time but God will ALWAYS give you what you need at the RIGHT TIME. God will bless you with people (spiritual connections) who will help dust off your knees when you’ve fallen, hurt you when you need to become stronger or leave you when you need experience. People who love you when you’re lonely, tell you how amazing you are when you feel upset about yourself and help make you the person YOU WERE MEANT TO BE!!!
Gratitude is the only lens through which great things can be seen and once we have seen them, humility is the only posture possible. Don’t wait until you “get humbled,” to be humble. Remember, the challenges we encounter in life are not meant to paralyze us but assist in self-discovery and development. What often appears to be a setback is a setup for a blessing in disguise. When it gets tough and things don’t look like they’ll work out, you can laugh by faith, knowing that God has already written the final chapter.
When life’s problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself fortunate. I don’t know what tomorrow holds but I know who holds it and that’s enough for me!
In all that you do GIVE THANKS! It’s rather easy to become submerged in what we feel is lacking in our life but how often do we show pure gratitude for what we do have? How grateful are we for the people who love us?
How appreciative are we for the gift of life? The ability to love and laugh? Remember, when you take things for granted oftentimes the things you’re granted get taken.
Take time during this season of “thanksgiving” to reflect on how much you have to be grateful for and lend a hand to someone in need.
Recognize your current blessings before praying for more. Focusing on our struggles can sometimes be our greatest addiction. Break the habit and start focusing on your joys. No matter how good or bad you think life is, wake up each day and be thankful for life. Sometimes you won’t get everything you want but be thankful for everything you have.
Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot. Count your blessings instead of your problems. Today and everyday find something to be thankful for. As long as you are breathing, you have LIFE in you. We ALL have something to be thankful for.
In ALL things, give thanks. Let the holiday season serve as a gentle reminder of what should be celebrated everyday. Family, friends, life and love must be honored at each waking moment because they are the Creator’s way of saying he honors us. No matter the trial, tribulation, setback or circumstance, we earn another stripe of strength. When we see it through and in persevering, we are granted peace, serenity and total happiness. Treat each day as the gift that it is.
No matter how good or bad you think life is, wake up each day and be thankful for life. Somewhere, someone is fighting to survive and wishing they had what you’re taking for granted.
When you feel the pain of life, remember that someone out there is feeling the pain of hunger, abuse, living without a parent, and going through other various storms. Live your life and make it the best that you can because tomorrow is not promised to anyone.
Whenever you feel down, just remember the little things we take for granted:
- Waking up: it wasn’t the alarm clock that did it BUT GOD!
- Breathing: this is something you don’t control. God puts air in our lungs and makes blood flow throughout our body.
- Movement of Motor Skills: God blesses us with a sound mind, a brain that orchestrates coordination of the arms, legs and other large body parts and movements. Our brain is responsible for motor movement, balance and the brain’s ability to determine positions of our limbs. Being able to move our limbs is a blessing that we should never take for granted.
Benefits of Giving Thanks
Studies show that “giving thanks” and having an “attitude of gratitude” can help you become a better you.
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- Create and maintain deeper friendships
- Improves job performance
- Increases feelings of happiness, love and empathy
- Reduces feelings of envy
- Reduces stress and increases mental strength
- I’m an advocate for self-care. Anything that will assist you in becoming better physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually is worth trying. Give it a try, you have nothing to loose!
Counting blessings instead of your problems creates a grateful heart, positively effects life’s perspectives and can lower your blood pressure. Focusing on what you’re thankful for is said to decrease sleepless nights; therefore, increasing sleep duration and significantly increasing energy levels which can boost your daily productivity. We live in a society that focuses so much on unrealistic realities of social media. So many “study” folks social media pages thinking they’re living a “perfect life” and wishing they had their life. Instead of comparing your life to others, focus on what you’re grateful for; therefore, decreasing feelings of envy, anxiety, stress and increasing our feelings of happiness and optimism.
Counting Blessings – Where to Start
- Mentor/Volunteer: giving back to others by mentoring or volunteering in your community is a great way to start! I believe volunteering can be a very humbling experience that not only assists in reflecting on what you’re grateful for but it also improves our well-being. Remember, helping others also helps you!
- Spending time with friends and family increases feelings of gratitude by expressing your thankfulness of others.
- Send an encouraging text, email, card or call someone you’re thankful for. It may seem small but that small token of appreciation will mean the world to that person and it will make you feel good too.
- Staying active: exercising will increase your endorphins; therefore you will have a clearer mind and be able to list what you’re thankful for.
After giving back to others, spending time with love ones and exercising, I’m positive you will be able to write down what you’re thankful for. Keep a gratitude journal to reflect and acknowledge what you’re thankful for; therefore, developing an attitude of gratitude. When you’re having a bad day, you can refer back to what you wrote in your journal and have everything put back into perspective. It’s said that journaling about what you’re thankful for can aid in increasing optimism, self-esteem, becoming more spiritual, compassionate and help us relax.
Psalm of Thanksgiving: “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” Psalm 100 (NLT)
I pray that the Lord will help us all to be thankful for the abundant gifts we have already been given and help us to resist the temptation to always want more and be thankful all year long. Let’s not just be thankful during the holiday season but proud, thankful and joyous on an ongoing basis. Remember, if you focus on what you have, you’ll always have enough. If you concentrate on what you want, you’ll never be satisfied. I pray that we all remember our blessings and not focus on what we don’t have or what isn’t working in our life.
For All I Trust Him because my life truly is a gift from God that I try my best to not take for granted. I will continue to take life, one day at a time; not grieving over the past but living in the present and making it a beautiful life worth remembering! I will continue to count my blessings instead of my problems. Sometimes I don’t get everything I want but I’m thankful for everything I have!