Grateful Even Though

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   I Thessalonians 5:18

My mom was a positive and grateful person.  She saw the good in people and the blessings of life.  My foundation was built on being thankful to God for the gift of life and faith.  I was firmly anchored in Jesus through the influence and guidance of my mom and my grandma. As I matured, I knew God was real, God loved me even when I messed up and took steps in the wrong direction, and God’s forgiveness was given freely.  I have always been thankful for having a roof over my head and food in my stomach.  I do not take these basics of life for granted but give thanks daily for God’s loving presence and provision. 

I am thankful for family and the continued connection and love we share.  We love and support each other and have the foundation of faith and thankfulness.  I am thankful for the people God has placed on my path of life, and how God has given me opportunities to walk the journey of joy and sorrow with them.  Even though I do not daily interact with these special people, the legacy and love has continued in my life. 

Because of this foundation, when loss and troubles have come into my life, my attitude and outlook while experiencing the sadness, has always been gratefulness.  I was thankful for the experience and what I learned, thankful for the gift of the relationships, the love, the adventure, and the opportunity to live with and through the relationship.  That does not mean I did not feel the pain and hurt, I just knew God was always there and I was anchored – securely attached – to His love and constant presence.

Yes, it is difficult to give thanks in all circumstances.  We are not thankful for the loss of a person, but thankful that they lived and have been a part of our life.  Because of their life, we are who we are and have learned, grown and experienced love.  Even though you have experienced loss and hurt and pain, being grateful can still be a part of your life. Even though your heart has been broken, you can give thanks that you have loved and been loved.  Even though loneliness and emptiness seem to creep into the darkness of the evening, you can be thankful for the memories and the possibilities of this different life.

In this week of Thanksgiving, anchor yourself in your blessings, not your losses.  Being thankful and grateful has more to do with your attitude than your circumstances.  It is how you look at life.  Even though my mom and grandma are living now in Heaven, I give thanks for their continued guidance as I remember and appreciate their life and legacy.

Even though your life may not be what you had hoped or planned, you can be grateful you have life.  There is always something to be thankful for because you have breath and life and hope and Jesus.  When we focus on the past and what could have been and what we have done wrong or the wrong done to us, we miss the blessings in front of us.  When we focus on the future and the worry and anxiety it brings, we forget the present.  God is only with us in the present.  Just today. That is why the future brings such worry and anxiety because we do not see God in it.  Be thankful for today.  This moment.  Look around you and be grateful.  Even though it is not what you planned or hoped for; it is what you currently have so find the blessings in this moment.  You can be sad and still give thanks.