Living in a Place of Gratitude

"Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous." Psalm 111:4

Someone once said, "When our starting point is a place of gratitude, we have already won before we begin." There is nothing as satisfying as gratitude when it comes to meeting a deadline, calming anxious thoughts, fulfilling a longtime goal, reaching your dreams, facing fear straight on and winning, or celebrating a victory well deserved. It is a strength we can tap into when we have built up our gratitude muscle.

I seem to notice just how much I have to be grateful for when someone I dearly love is sidelined by dis-ease. Watching my mother go through this chemo journey again causes me to take a back seat and be thankful every time she feels a change in her body by way of this powerful medication flowing through her bloodstream. I watch and listen to what she is going through so gracefully and thank God for her fighting spirit.

I learn something about gratitude when I watch Mama. I realize the power I have over my own thoughts and feelings, choosing my mood wisely first thing in the morning is vital to how my day will go. Filling up on being grateful takes up so much room that other things like negativity, resentment, or pity are crowded out. By focusing on the positive we forget about the negative that when compared to others and what they might be going through may not be negative at all (it's all in the way you look at it). Being grateful for the things you don't have is a great way to take the spotlight off of that certain thing and put your mind on things that matter more. So let's exercise our gratitude muscle.

I hope this encourages you to look at things a little differently. Take some quiet time to reflect on your blessings.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity...Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

-Melody Beattie

I love you & He loves you more!

Lord, May I practice gratitude in my daily life. Teach me Your Word and Your ways. Thank You for Your light, may it always shine on me with compassion and righteousness. Place Your gentle, healing hand on Mama today. In Jesus' name. Amen