All is quiet this Thanksgiving morning. The fire is crackling in the fireplace. Upstairs a newlywed couple sleeps and two exhausted college students. My husband is still sleeping in our bedroom. I just received word yesterday that my sweet Future Leader Dog Millie has moved on to the final stage of training at Leader Dogs for the Blind, and if she passes this one she will be matched with a blind person. My heart is full of Thanksgiving.
The truth is, though, I am not always thankful. Do you ever catch yourself grumbling and complaining about anything and everything? I have been convicted this last week about how much I complain. The opposite of complaining and being ungrateful is contentment and thankfulness. Everything in life does not have to be perfect in order to be thankful. Actually, our life should be more about our attitude toward life than what actually happens.
As I have been reflecting on this concept and my ungrateful heart attitude, I have been trying to notice the things that come out of my mouth more. I have been thanking God for the things that previously I was grumbling about.
Honestly, I have nothing to ungrateful for. I have a house full of my favorite people. Good news about my favorite dog. A job that offers a lot of flexibility. A wonderful husband who takes such good care of me. A reliable car. Today, we have internet that works again. Most importantly, I have a God who loves me and sent His only Son to redeem me, pay for my sins by dying on the cross for me, and He still loves me with my ungrateful heart.
As I was taking care of one of my patients yesterday with these thoughts present on my heart and mind, I tried to help her to see the other side of her coin. Yes, she had some things to be ungrateful for, but I tried to help her see that she had something to be thankful for. As we worked together and she would start to complain, I would redirect her thoughts to something to be thankful for. By the time I left her, she had a smile for me that was genuine and sincere. Life is funny that way isn’t it?
Our attitudes can be contagious.
We all have something we can grumble and complain about. When we do it puts us in a category of very ugly people according to Scripture. “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents, UNGRATEFUL, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying it power. Avoid such people.” (II Tim. 3:2-5).
God told us through the pen of Timothy to avoid such people.
It’s easy on Thanksgiving to think of all the things we are thankful for, but Thanksgiving should be something we should do every day. Every day, there are many things to be thankful for.
I am thankful that all of our children wanted to come home and spend Thanksgiving with their parents. What a blessing that is to my heart. Most of all, I am thankful for a God who loves me all the time every day. Even on the days when I am ungrateful.
Happy Thanksgiving! From my precious family to yours!
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