Thankful

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” - (Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:1)

I woke up late. Really late. I start scrambling. Stub my toe trying to get to the bathroom. Rush my oldest in to her bathroom. Rush myself in the shower and downstairs. Rip my sweater trying to shove my arm in it. Look for my middle child. She’s still in dreamland. Rush her out of bed. Hurry as I made their lunches for school and mine. Bump into my toddler who’s mad about all the noise that woke him up. Now he’s cranky and wants to cuddle in bed. Throws a tantrum because that is clearly not possible. Ugh! Check on the girls to make sure they are actually washing and not chatting away. Remind them of the time. Drop my lunch on the floor as I almost run into my toddler still trying to get my attention. I still need to find another sweater. By the time we all get in the car and get moving we are clearly at least 10 minutes late. Ugh! But now we say prayers in the car as we start to drive and it comes to mind what do I pray for. My morning sucked. Do I pray for a better day? Do I demand that I better get a blessing after what I have just been through? Do I ask that life eases up on me because its only 8am and I am done? Then it came to me in that instant.

In that quiet moment when you know God is sitting right there with you and the words pop into my soul.

I said a prayer of thanks. Yes. I thanked God in my heavy breathing from carrying my fighting toddler into the car because he felt like staying home. I thanked him that my baby was alive and breathing and had the strength to fight his mama. I thanked God in my anger at my middle one for slowing us down. I thanked Him for her spirit and intelligence and health and love for her siblings and others around her. I thanked God in my fear of being late for work and school. Thankful that I have a job to go to and a school for my kids to feel safe in while they learn. I was in a position prime for looking at everything wrong. For wallowing and staying in a moment. For getting angry and taking it overboard. 

But that day I was reminded to be thankful. In that moment, not because of what is coming or what has happened, but for what is.  Just looking at what I have on my plate, in my life, all around me. It began to calm me but also made me think even more. We are not always going to remember to be thankful. But in those moments when it does come to us, We shouldn’t ignore it or brush it off. We should take it and start in that direction. Thanking and counting our blessings. Remembering how precious the breath is in our lungs. Remembering what else our life could have been if it weren’t for God. I am very thankful to be here now. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ, Jesus.”

Stressing that it doesn’t say ‘for’ all circumstances but ‘in’ it. Life can get hard. I mean really hard. My life has been in grave danger and I have always wondered, would I have been able to give thanks in that moment? If Paul and Silas can praise God in jail with the likely chance of dying the next day, then so can I. Right? He’s just as human as I am. However, a lot of times we feel justified in letting our emotions take over and driving the wheel to anger, depression and anxiety. But It is time we pause and shove them out of the way and say no! To God be the glory! The one who saves, and guides, and leads and so much more.

We also underestimate the power of praise. Imagine how someone makes you feel when they say amazing things to you and thank you. Especially if you have not done much for them. How much more your heavenly father. We lift Him up regardless of what is happening and the surprise side effect is that our spirits get lifted as well. This is how it makes sense. When we accepted Jesus as our savior, He sent the Holy Spirit to be our companion. So being part of the trinity, As you lift one, the other, and the same, inside of you gets lifted as well! Gratitude as such a powerful effect, the effort to get there is so worth it.

I feel gratitude is especially necessary in your healing journey.

The mind loves to replay bad memories and sometimes add more in them to build fear and/or sadness. Being thankful reminds you who is bigger, who is with you, who is fighting for you. It is the moment you are placing your heart and life in God’s hands and thanking Him for bringing you this far. When I left my abusive marriage, the fear for my husband grew with each passing day. I was encouraged to have praise breaks and those praise moments reminded me of past dangers I have been saved from. It allowed me to thank God for what He had done so far and helped build my faith in what He was going to do. It’s not just for uplifting a bad day. I highly recommend it for every tough season as well. He’s got you and not ever letting go. So let’s thank Him always.