What a great day to talk about Thankfulness!! It seems like every lesson I’ve learned on the Race has changed my eternity, and this one is no different!
Since today is Christmas, I’m going to try and keep this blog short 🙂
Christmas is a time of the year that most of us look forward to (and if you don’t, please keep reading!). We get excited about the memories, the snow, the food, the traditions, and seeing friends and family.
Today I find myself in a paradox. I am sitting in Oman, my first Christmas away from home. And for the exception of friends, I have none of the other things that I would expect for Christmas.
It would be really easy, even tempting, to allow depression or self pity to plant seeds in my heart. Yet, the paradox is that despite these circumstances, there is True Joy in my heart.
How?
I believe that Thankfulness is the key to face any circumstance with Joy.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says this:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Thankfulness, like Joy, despite what others might say, is not an emotion nor will it happen naturally. Thankfulness and Joy have to be intentionally planted and nurtured to produce fruit in your Life.
Thankfulness has the power to change our minds and hearts from being victim to our surroundings to becoming Unshakable and Free.
We’ve all seen the saying “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain” haven’t we?
I believe that quote is true. If we learn Thankfulness in the storms of life, we can find Joy. But I don’t believe we can ever learn to “dance in the rain” until we learn how to dance in our bedrooms on a Monday night after a hard day at work.
Stop waiting for something to be big enough for you to have to cling to Thankfulness, because it will be too late.
This is where we have to live every day! But even better, this is where we GET to live every day!
Last year I started a practice where I determined and stopped myself throughout my day to tell God a dozen things I was Thankful for. This came from a podcast with Johnathan David and Melissa Helser. Johnathan David shared this thought (I’m paraphrasing here) “I shouldn’t have to have a reason to give my wife a dozen roses. I just want to give her flowers because I Love and am Thankful for her. In the same way, I want to give God thanks for everything He’s doing in my life, not because I have to, but just because I can.”
It’s Thankfulness like that that will equip you to dance through the storms of life. If I can give God thanks in my everyday, I’ll be ready to give Him thanks in the pain. I don’t have enough time to talk about that one in depth. But if you want to talk about what a victorious life looks like, it’s being able to be Thankful for your sufferings.
But Thankfulness is a funny goal. The goal shouldn’t to be Thankful in the storms but in the day to day! If you do this, not only will you dance through the storm, but you’ll find the Joy in the ordinary. It’s a win-win.
What can you do daily that will set a new foundation of Thankfulness in your life?
