I think it is easy to get so wrapped up in life, its demands, our to-do lists, the routines we are just so “used to,” that we forget that each and every thing in our lives is an absolute blessing.
I think if we truly stopped and realized that everything from the most mundane to the most complex is a blessing from God, our lives would change.
Why is it so much easier to complain than it is to be grateful? Why can we pick out 100 negative things before we find the positive? Why do we focus on everything that is outside our control rather than focus on what is?
It’s uncomfortable, it’s unfamiliar. The world we live in is so full of negativity and darkness and pressure to be everything all at once.
It feels heavy. But I assure you, that is not our weight to carry.
Being grateful takes work, seeing the good takes patience and a deeper understanding, releasing control takes faith.
Your house is a mess, you have the bed to make, kids to clean up after and work to do, the list goes on. On and “you” is me, it’s all of us.
We could complain about all of the above, see only the negative in the situation and let it rule your day (that would be the easy and natural response) OR we could do the hard thing, we could take a step back and find the positives, because there are so many…we could choose to let our gratitude light the way for a better day.
God thank you for waking me up to see another day, thank you for the roof over my head, for a cozy place to rest my head, for children I love with all my heart and their creative spirit you have instilled in them, thank you for a job that provides for me and my family, thank you for giving me such a full life!
Choose to recognize that life is not perfect and there will always be things we want to change/improve/fix, but if you are grateful right here, right now in all of life’s messes, all of the struggles, if we are thankful now, imagine how glorious you will feel when everything falls into place?
I get emotional just thinking about it.
We serve a good and gracious God. He knows what we are going through, he is right there holding our hand. He didn’t promise perfection, but he did promise he would equip us with everything we need to get through whatever we face in life. He promised to never leave or forsake us, so when things are heavy, know He is right there to lighten your load, let Him carry that weight for you. He delights in our need for his grace.
Give him praise not only when things are good and fitting to your agenda, but when things are hard and messy and unplanned because we can trust in our hearts that His plan is far greater than our own.
Staying bitter, tired, and stressed is easy, it is the staying grateful, hopeful, faithful and focused that is hard.
Choose the hard thing. I promise you won’t regret it.
Until Next Time on Kelsey’s Chronicles.
Kelsey's Chronicles 