Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
Colossians 3:16 NLT
After knocking over a half-full glass of water as I reached for my eye drops this morning, I could have chosen to complain. Instead, I chose gratitude. What could I be thankful for?
- Most of the water landed on the floor instead of my dresser top.
- Not one drop of water fell into the open container of medication standing on my dresser.
- When the glass hit the floor, it did not break or even crack.
- I’m thankful for my generous-hearted sister-in-law who gave me that glass.
- I can still touch my toes and bend over, so I easily cleaned up the mess.
- My early morning accident provided an illustration for this blog post.
Gratitude, I’ve discovered, does not begin with feeling thankful. It starts with what I’m thinking. Words that gush out of my mouth flow from the hidden spring of beliefs I’ve stored in my heart.
Like the Psalmist, I want the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart to be pleasing to God. (Psalm 19:14) In order for this to happen, I must pay attention to my thoughts.
Here’s my challenge: In every situation where I’m inclined to grumble or complain, I will write a statement of gratitude. I will share these statements with someone on Thanksgiving Day.
That day is less than two weeks away. My challenge starts now. I hope you will join me.
- Either electronically or with a pen and paper, write down each situation in which you feel angry, disappointed, sad, or stuck
- Then, by writing down everything for which you can give thanks, turn it into an opportunity for gratitude.
- Record any change in your attitude or energy level that results after you’ve done the first two steps.
NOTE: This is not an exercise in perfection. Don’t guilt yourself if you slip up; just get up and start again. Start building or, if you need to, rebuild a habit of gratitude.
Get in the habit of gratitude; Cultivate that attitude. Practice it morning, noon, and night; Bless God for everything in sight— Everything beautiful, everything good; Focus not on the ugly, impure or lewd. Note everything true and commendable; See what has worth and what is expendable. Soon your soul will be filled with joy; Small imperfections will not annoy You anymore; you’ll be gracious To all--kind and courageous. Get in the habit of gratitude; Make it more than a platitude. Jane Ault 2/10/18
Without ugliness we could not appreciate beauty.
Without pain we could not appreciate wholeness
Without dark we could not predicate light
God planned it all. There is something to appreciate in everything.
And I appreciate you and your wonderful thought-provoking blog.
I appreciate you, also, Debbie. Thank you for consistently reading my blog posts and commenting on them. I need your perspective.
Oh this is so good, Jane! It is speaking to me so much right now. I am going to start right where I am at and apply what you wrote about. When I feel like complaining, I am going to take a few minutes and write everything I can be grateful for that revolves around that situation! This is very timely for me! Thank you, Jane!
You are welcome, Marlene. This exercise of gratitude helped me again this morning to gain God’s perspective.
Thanks, Jane, I’m in. This is a perfect challenge for these dark days and this thankful season!!
That’s great, Diane! Thanks for letting me know.
I have been through a long season of misfortune. Oh well. That’s life. In each bad situation I could see how God guarded me from what could have been so much worse. Each time He has provided resources. Thank you for your beautiful post and your Giving-Thanks challenge.
Thank you for your words of encouragement, Judith. To see how God provided for you in each bad situation is a wonderful gift. Your faith and optimism inspire me to keep on…
Hi Jane, this a a wonderful way to take those negative thoughts captive and direct them to those that are “ good and lovely, pure and true” . We all have so much to be thankful for!
Yes, Donna! What I realized is that I usually express gratitude when things are going great, but I need to grow in gratitude when I’m in a difficult situation.
I just copied and pasted your challenge in a Word Doc (With your name on it) and I’d like to accept the challenge. I’ll post my items in my Word Doc. This should be a fun and blessed experience!
So excited that you are doing this Wanda! Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you for this challenge, Jane. I gratefully accept!
Thanks, Marjorie! I feel excited about that!
Thanks, Jane. Love this. I am going to be trying this exercise with you.
That’s great, Sandy!