I still feel such gratitude when there are a number of groups using our building on any given night. Last week on Tuesday night we had the Foundations class meeting in the gathering area, we had a small group of women called the “IF” Table meeting in the student room and we had the Outreach Team meeting in the conference room. This place was buzzing. Wednesday night the whole building is full of middle school and high school students hanging out, doing their large group gathering and involved in small groups. Then last Thursday we had a girl scout troop using the building, the worship singers were practicing for Sunday morning, the prayer team was praying and a small group called Better Together was meeting in the conference room. We built our building 3½ years ago, but every time the building is full and used, I’m just so grateful to God for giving us this facility. The building is just a tool but it’s a great tool for ministry to happen.
But what if it didn’t take a big event like a building to practice gratitude all the time? This sense of gratitude struck me so powerfully recently because it is so unusual. I realized that gratitude is not usually my overriding emotion. Usually, I’m anxious for a certain day to come, or I’m dissatisfied that I haven’t made more progress in my life or my job or with a project. Or I’m too focused on what didn’t happen, or what should have happened or what could have happened. And I miss just being thankful for what God has done in my life.
I have a friend who is in recovery and every time I see him and ask him how he is doing, he always answers, “I’m grateful.” It is his pat answer just like most people’s pat answer is, “fine”. But what if that could be true of all of us? That most of the time our overriding emotion is gratitude? Just think what that would change. It would change how we treat people in our family, at our work and how we treat all the people that serve us in retail outlets. It would change how we treat our servers at restaurants. It would change how we view the future and how we respond to the past. It could change our whole perspective on life.
This Thanksgiving I want to make a commitment to grow in gratitude year around. Gratitude is so counter intuitive that it will take some work. Gratitude and thankfulness take discipline. It takes a conscious effort to focus on the good things I have instead of always pining away for the things I don’t have. It is much easier to focus on what didn’t happen, or what circumstances went against us instead of being thankful to God for what he has given us. Thankfulness takes a consistent intentionality. What are you thankful for? What do you have a deep sense of gratitude to God for? Can you be intentional about gratitude after the Thanksgiving holiday?
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