An Attitude Of Gratitude

     Thanksgiving is a time of remembering blessings and thanking The Giver of them.  But, it shouldn’t only be on Thanksgiving that we take this time to be grateful for all the blessing the Lord has given us.  Actually, it is very important to keep an attitude of gratitude daily.

    Attitude is defined as a feeling, manner, position, or disposition relating to the mind.  As with all attitudes, it is expressed.  Gratitude is defined as thankfulness and gratefulness.  God loves it when you give thanks to Him.  He loves to hear from you and have a relationship with you.

    As always it is easy to be thankful on a good day, but do we always remember?  Sometimes we might be guilty of going through peaceful and blessing filled days with not a word of thanks to the God Who gave us these things.  It is easy to give thanks on good days, but what about rough days?  But really, each day is blessing filled, we just have to look for them.

    One thing I try to do is keep a journal.  Each day, I try to write at least five things I am grateful for.  There are so many things to be thankful for and the more blessings you recognize; the more that you will keep finding.  Thinks like: a siblings helpfulness, a parent’s understanding, wisdom in handling a tough situation, your health (like being able to breath without being congested, especially during cold season), comfy pillow, warm showers, socks, a dishwasher, electricity, our Bibles… the list goes on and on.

    Even on a bad day when everything seems to go wrong, you can still be grateful for things.  In fact, on those days you might want to write ten things you are grateful for.  As you write your blessing, you will start to feel less depressed/oppressed.  Your attitude changes and you start feeling better.

    Have you ever given thanks for your life?  For children, life might be something similar to an explored playground filled with adventures.  For teenagers, life is something that hurts, and experience is a hard teacher.  For adults, life is getting up at 6 every morning to go to work and make money to pay the bills.  But really, we shouldn’t be thinking of life in that perspective.  Life is a gift, not something we are obligated to have.

    How many children are born each day without life in their body?  How many people die in one day?  Hundreds, perhaps thousands.  So many people take their life for granted but it is such a beautiful gift that God has given us, to live and experience all the good He has for us.

    Sometimes it might be difficult to give thanks for parents or siblings, especially when it seems your parents are being overly critical or when your siblings get into your things.  But even on the worst of days, if nothing else, we learn to love, forgive, obey, and respect if you willing to let the Lord be your teacher.

    With so many things to be thankful for, we should always be giving thanks and praise to our Creator.  So what about you?  What are grateful for?