Gratitude Challenge

There have been times in my life when I’ve found it hard to be thankful. Call it my glass half empty thinking, which is true sometimes…or call it a faulty view of the goodness of God. Whatever the case, I’ve found it easy in life to mimc the ancient Israelites and complain rather than praise. Anyone know what I mean?

As I write this, I’m sitting in my living room watching a blue and yellow swirling array of sunset out of my window. When the sun breaks through, every night in this new home shows us a different kind of glory. I think God enjoys painting the sky in varying shades for us and no two are the same. That’s one of the things I have come to praise Him for these days.

The other day, we went to a small town nearby to shop for shoes. No, I’m not a shoe fanatic. I just have wacky feet and needed to find the right kind for me. Afterward, we found a little pizza place and ordered one to go. Did you know they make goat cheese and cherry pizza? Oh my! I’ll never see pizza the same way again. While we waited for that delicious treat, we walked down the street and looked at the architecture of this old town and I couldn’t stop smiling. I know, I know. What’s gotten into me?

I think it has something to do with our pastor’s gratitude challenge. He didn’t make it a formal one, just something in a sermon said in passing. But I decided to take him up on it. I found one of my journals that still had room in it and began the journey. Every day for one month we are to write three things we are thankful for. We can’t repeat anything we list. Each item has to be new.

So I began by recording the date, and then I list three things. The first item on my list is something I can praise God for. For instance, I’m memorizing Ephesians 1 right now, and when you memorize multiple verses, you start to see things in those verses you glossed over in the past. Like the fact that in Christ we have been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. I’m not sure what every spiritual blessing includes, but every is a lot! And I can praise Him for that.

The next two are things I’m thankful for like someone I love or something good that’s happened. Once you start to look for things or for ways in which God is good, it’s not so hard to find them. I suppose it doesn’t hurt to have the beauty of so many lakes surrounding us. Every time I have to drive somewhere, I pass lakes on either side of the road. I love that!

Maybe my grateful attitude has a lot to do with our new surroundings. And yes, I think that helps. But my personal circumstances haven’t changed a whole lot. I’m still walking through some difficult trials, and I have no idea when they are going to change. I still grieve some things that I wish were different. I still pray and ask God for things that He has yet to answer.

But I can take those few moments each day to thank Him and praise Him. It’s a time when I don’t ask Him for anything. I just tell Him I love Him and why. I have a friend who battles the enemy of our souls with songs of praise. She inspires me. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praise of His people. While that phrase is interpreted differently in different versions, I think the point is that God is near when we praise Him. He is worthy of our praise, and perhaps we are closer to Him in those moments. Our praise evokes trust, and despair or doubt or fear cannot survive in a heart of trust.

I still have a few weeks to go to finish my month of gratitude. But I might keep going and just make it a habit. How about you? Anyone want to join me in this?

Be blessed.