Grateful and Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

What better thing to write about on Thanksgiving than about being grateful and thankful! However, not just about how we should be thankful and grateful, but how being these things, can transform your life.

THE LESSON:

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are told to "be thankful in everything, in all circumstances." We are not just told this because it is something good to do, but because being thankful changes so much within ones own life. Being thankful highlights the good experiences in our lives and enables us to enjoy the moments so much more. It also teaches us to accept the hard trials and failures with an attitude of dignity. To see the failures as lessons and not defeats. EACH MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE IS A MOMENT TO BE THANKFUL FOR. Some might say this impossible.

"How am I suppose to be thankful for the failing grade I made on a test?" "How am I suppose to be thankful for my family member who passed away?" "How am I to be thankful for my relationship that failed?"

These are all examples of times that some people might have trouble finding thanks in, but it all comes down to one key component: PERCEPTION. How you perceive a moment, changes the entire situation. If you perceived the following examples above as bad, then maybe you should consider changing your perception. View that failing grade on a test as a lesson to study more for the next one. Celebrate your family members life that they lived and know that GOD IS IN CONTROL and HE had a will and way and that HIS WILL always prevails. Realize that the failing relationship was to be a relationship for only a certain amount of timing. Focus on the things that the relationship brought you... the blessings throughout.

There is so much to be thankful for in life and sometimes we can get too caught up in the distraction to just say one simple phrase: thank you. It is not hard to say and it does not take much to say it, but it is one of the most influential phrases in the world. I know for myself, if someone says thank you to me for even the smallest deed, it can completely brighten my day. This might not be for everyone, but what if the person that you say thank you to is like that. YOU could be the reason that they have a wonderful day. Just say the simple words and watch your life be filled with gratitude.

THE CHALLENGE:

On this day, you, along with millions of other people are celebrating the act of being thankful. My question is: why is this the only day it is celebrated. We should be thankful for each day that the Lord gives us, each triumph, each failure.

So, this is your challenge. Start a gratitude journal. You do not have to immediately start to journal each day. Slowly, train yourself and build yourself up to writing in it each day. Start by saying you will do it at least once a week, then twice, and so on, eventually working yourself up to each day. By getting up 10 minutes earlier and starting your day with a grateful heart, you will begin to see a drastic change within your life. You can either list things you are thankful for, write about things you are thankful for, or however else you find a way. The end result is the same: a more humbling way to live life and living a happier life.

If you want double the challenge, here it is. Ask each family member every night one thing they are thankful for. Not only will it open your eyes to the blessing you have, but also the blessings that are in the lives of the people you love. To know the blessings that are in the lives of the people you are blessed by, is a blessing in itself.