Gratitude Day 350

Sat., Nov. 2, 2019

2 Corinthians 4:15:  All these things are for your benefit. As grace increases to benefit more and more people, it will cause gratitude to increase, which results in God’s glory.

As I was beginning this post, I realized that TODAY is the #350^th gratitude post that I have done. WOW. This means, I’ve accounted for 350 different ways I’ve found gratitude in the past number of months.

What have I discovered about gratitude? Here’s a few things.

No matter what is going on in your life lately, YOU can ALWAYS find something to be GRATEFUL for. Period. On Friday, three of our grandkids didn’t have school. So, Hubby Rick and I spent the day with them. We did some fun things and had a great day. We were in the car on the way back to their house when something happened between the kids in which the youngest, Dylan, felt very upset. And all the emotions came running out.

I had a quick stop to make. When I got back to the car, it was determined that people would rotate their spots in the car so Grandpa could sit in the very back with Dylan. He talked to Dylan about what had happened and how even though something happened that upset him, he STILL had much to be thankful for. He always has enough food. He has his own room in a nice house. He has people who love him, which Rick shared with him how much he loves him.

The whole conversation was maybe 60 seconds long. Did it completely change Dylan’s attitude? I don’t know. What it did do was refocus Dylan on what he has rather than what he feels he didn’t have.

Quite honestly, I think there are a lot more people than our 7-year-old grandson who could hear this lesson and remember it in their lives. Including me. This is exactly WHY I started focusing on gratitude.

Expressing gratitude should not be a last resort but a first resort. When we feel beat-up in life, it becomes very easy to focus on how we have been wronged. When this happens, we often can only see what we would like different. When we can turn to gratitude first, then it reframes our whole situation. Too often, we think of gratitude only when things are going well. Personally, I think it’s even MORE important to discover and articulate gratitude when nothing seems to be going right.

Small gratitude is just as important as big gratitude. I think we get caught up in the idea that unless we go big with gratitude appreciation, then it isn’t truly gratitude. I completely disagree. Big gratitude can be too easy. When we are clear in expressing gratitude for the smallest and most everyday things, then we develop a deeper appreciation for everything. When we handle small things well, God may offer us more difficult situations. This can overwhelm us, or we can see this as an opportunity to positively affect God’s kingdom. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the size that’s so important to God. It’s our heart.

I plan to keep looking and sharing my personal gratitude experiences because it’s good for my soul. And hopefully, once in a while, my thought resonates with someone else.

What are YOU grateful for today? How do YOU celebrate gratitude in your life daily? How has this affected YOUR life?

For discovering gratitude in so many different ways, I am grateful. 

Holy God – I pray we see gratitude as something that is so very basic in our lives; as much as air and water. Instill within us gratitude in every cell in our bodies. May our appreciation and gratitude inspire and encourage others to do likewise. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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