By Deb Ott ———
I am a fan of the holidays, especially the time between mid-November through Christmas. It has been fun to watch friends do a “30 Days of Thanksgiving” challenge leading up to Thanksgiving, where they share something they are thankful for each day. It’s awesome. It is one of the few times a year when people look around in their lives to find little things to be thankful for. When is the last time I stopped and listed 30 things I am thankful for? Ah, it is such a great habit to get into. In fact, it is an ideal mindset to get into. When thankfulness is my focus, instead of criticism, I have more peace in my life.
God absolutely knew how much it would affect me when he said “give thanks in all circumstances.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Every time I mentally ask God, “What do you want me to do???,” this is what comes to mind: Give THANKS! Finding things to be thankful for in stressful situations is not a human reaction, thus I am assuming that God is dropping a large hint to me.
It’s a bit of a challenge at first, but I can always come back to being thankful for just having breath in my lungs. God does not owe me anything, so I will absolutely be thankful for each breath I can take. I am thankful for the blessing of people I love. I am thankful for fuzzy socks. I am thankful for our church family. I am thankful for washing machines (because my 97-year-old amazing grandma has told me lots of detailed laundry tales of life before washing machines).
Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
Eventually, I see the byproduct of thankfulness come into play…. peace. I am talking about inner peace, that can often not make sense (hence the “transcends all understanding”). For me, it is confirmation that I am not alone and God is with me. Sure the kids are still fighting and the to-do list is looming, but when I have been intentionally thankful, my attitude and mental state are in a better spot.
READ IT AGAIN (YES I MEANT TO PUT IT HERE TWICE):
Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
Try it … try giving thanks in each and every circumstance and situation. I’d love to hear what you are thankful for…
