Have you ever struggled with thankfulness? Oh, it’s easy to spend the month of November hashtagging #thankfulgratefulblessed or #30DaysofThanksgiving and sharing how perfectly thankful we are for the blessings in our lives–on social media. But what about living a consistent life of gratitude, with hearts abounding in thanksgiving?
How about just one year of thankfulness? Could we do it?
365 days.
8,760 hours.
525,600 minutes.
of THANKFULNESS.
When I reflect on the number of minutes I demonstrated thankfulness over the past year, I feel like an ungrateful wretch.
I take countless blessings for granted every day. Sure, I may spend 10-20 minutes reflecting on God’s goodness and faithfulness, but what about the rest of the time?
Too often, I allow myself to be consumed by the pressures of daily life. I get frustrated about my endlessly messy house, bickering kids, traffic, work stressors, bills, and other pressures of life.
Why is it so much easier to be frustrated than thankful?
What if instead of losing my marbles over something, I say:
- Thank you, God, for the blessings all over my floor.
- Thank you, God, for the mound of clothes that protected my family this week.
- Thank you, God, for the abundance of food all over my floor, table, kitchen, and dishes.
- Thank you for the
screamssounds of children. - Thank you for this opportunity to extend grace and mercy (instead of wringing their neck).
- Thank you for the chance to grow in patience (and control my anger).
- Thank you for teaching me to find joy even in sorrow.
- Thank you for empowering me to love like Jesus.
- Thank you for helping me to live with peace in the midst of chaos.
- Thank you for the opportunity to practice gentle words in stressful situations.
- Thank you for the comfort of the Holy Spirit as I mourn.
Today, I pray God gives me the strength to practice the art of thanksgiving in every situation.
"Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." - Psalm 107:8-9 NIV
FUN FACT ABOUT GRATITUDE:
Research indicates it takes 21 days to form a new habit.
To help us form a habit of consistent thanksgiving, I created a 21-day gratitude prayer journal with scriptures and journal prompts for Mom and kids to cultivate grateful hearts in our homes.
Grab your FREE 21-Day Gratitude Prayer Journals for Mom + Kids
I’d love to hear how you cultivate a thankful heart. Comment below with how you grow in gratitude.
Be sure to share this post on social media for your family and friends too. They can join you in creating a new habit of thanksgiving this holiday season!