When is it easiest to be thankful? Maybe on Thanksgiving, when the calendar tells us to give thanks, or when something really dramatic and great happens, or when something really dramatic and bad doesn’t happen. But what about the things we just expect?
Recently I got to spend some time away with my wife Gaye and my kids Camille and Meyer. It would be easy to take this for granted. I’ve earned the time off, and they’re MY family after all, who else would they go on vacation with? But when I think about what it all meant, just the four of us without outside distractions, being able to focus on each other as we go on an adventure together – it’s really priceless, isn’t it? And it’s a gift from God. How many other things has He given me that I’ve missed?
My wife was inspired by the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp to start a thankfulness journal. The idea is that you write down everything you can think of that you are thankful for, no matter how big or small. It was a great way to start noticing EVERYTHING that God is doing for us and through us. It seems to me that it’s harder to complain while you are giving thanks. And that maybe being thankful for even the little things is a great step towards living life more joyfully. Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 106:1).
Find out more about Ann Voskamp’s book and read her blog.
-Steve
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