Thankful Thursday

 

 

One of the reasons I continue to write these Thankful Thursday blog posts is because I know how easy it is to lose sight of my blessings when I'm facing challenging circumstances.  And even when things are going well, having a grateful spirit does not come naturally.  It's part of the curse of the fall.  satan convinced Eve that she was missing out on something when in fact she and Adam had been given everything they needed.  Instead of being thankful for all God had given them, she chased after the one thing that brought death.  And ever since, mankind has wrestled with this same dilemma:  am I thankful for all I have, or am I displaying an ungrateful heart by focusing on and complaining about what I don't have. 

 

In 2 Peter 1, we are told that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness!  Do I really believe this?

 

This past week has been challenging for me.  My wife has been in Missouri helping our daughter and son-in-law as they adjust to their new role as parents, enjoying and hanging out with our grandson, while I'm holding down the fort here in Pennsylvania. 

 

I know there is much to be thankful for, but it's been easier to focus on my loneliness.  I'll tell you, pity parties are ugly!  They get you nowhere profitable. 

 

I've had to choose to keep returning to thanksgiving rather than complaint.

 

So, tonight I'm choosing to rejoice

 

I'm thankful that I'm never alone.  God has promised His presence; He will never leave me or forsake me

 

I'm thankful for technology that allows me to talk to and even see my wife

 

I'm thankful for the gift of life, waking up each morning with breath in my lungs is a gift

 

I'm thankful God doesn't give me what I deserve, but as a loving Father, He gives me what I need

 

I'm thankful for friends who stand with me in my times of struggle

 

I'm thankful for God's word, my guidebook for life

 

I'm thankful for music, and its ability to lift my spirits

 

I'm thankful for the skills God has gifted me with, and the opportunities He gives me to use those skills in my own home as well as in helping others

 

I'm thankful for airplanes.  Thankful my wife will be able to fly home rather than me having to drive back out to Missouri to pick her up

 

I'm thankful for the way God has designed our bodies to rest and be refreshed

 

I'm thankful Saturday is almost here!