I am grateful.
Last week I wrote about a mess I was struggling with. The struggle is still there, but it's not quite as overwhelming. And I saw Ann Voskamp's quote on happiness and gratitude on a friend's page this morning -- a friend who lost her only daughter in a car wreck . . . a friend who is helping to raise her small grandson without a mother while instilling memories of her in his heart -- and it made me remember to acknowledge how grateful I am.
Gratitude is important to all of us. We want to be acknowledged when we do something nice for someone else. It validates the giver and the recipient. God wants us to acknowledge our gratitude to Him, and we should. But the reality is that acknowledging my gratitude to God is really more for me than for Him. Stopping and sitting with my gratitude for all the things that God does for me makes me take notice of them. It makes me give Him credit which in turn brings me closer to Him. And that's what it's all about.
Being grateful makes me recognize my own needs and limitations, and opens me up to receiving and recognizing God's love and grace.
So right now, in this moment, I am grateful.
linking up with Five Minute Friday
Sometimes, we look to the other side of the fence and think "I wish I had". The truth is, if we looked at what others have lost, it would help us realize we already have all that we need, all that we want. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteSo much yes to this!! When I'm grateful, it keeps my eyes fixed in the roifght direction. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLet's count it all joy! Thank you for the reminder to be grateful.
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