Choosing Thankfulness

Today this thought hit me: I can choose to be thankful for much, or I can consider it my right to receive good things from God. He is God, He does not have to give me anything. But, because He's God, that is exactly why He does give me things.

I've been reflecting over the past few days (as I knew this holiday was approaching) on what I am thankful for. I haven't been very thankful the past couple of days. In fact I've been a bit of a bear lately. The end of this pregnancy seems as though it's taking forever to cease, and I have been obnoxiously wrapped up in it being "over." (With good reason) but still, not a good reason to be a bear.

I found myself thinking this morning.."Oh I can't wait for this to end so I can finally think about something else." How about thinking about something else right now? Why do I have to wait for the pregnancy to end to be more joyful? Why can't I just be joyful/thankful/peaceful today? So, I'm working on that. I praying on it I should say....

And so far today, it's been better. SO prompted my thought, choosing to be thankful. God has given me much...and much that He gives me, is overlooked at something that's expected! It's like when you make your child a fabulous breakfast, and you have to literally pull "thank-you" out of them with all the stength you have.

No one wants a thank you that has to be intensely prompted. I know God's emotions are not human as mine are, and I know He has much grace for me when I overlook His gifts/blessings as what is justly due. But I want to say, I confess! I say thank you to the Lord far to less, and I ask for far too much, and when I get much of what I ask for, I call coincidence! I've got some nerve.

So I am questioning myself today, examining my heart, and telling the Lord, that number one I am thankful for Him alone. And that everything following our relationship, is a fabulous blessing.

My children, my husband, my family...my freedom, my hope for life, my peace, my gift of eternal life, my son accepting Christ, my daughter praying at dinner, my GOOD marriage, my ability to walk, my ability to see, hear, think, taste, smell...

All of those things, are gifts. Blessings. They were given to me by the Lord, and I would say most days, that whole list above, is taken for granted, and I consider it my right to have those things. Well, it's not my right. It's His blessing.

So I sit here, considering all I am thankful for, most of which does not come in a box, or from a store, and I shake my head and marvel at all the blessings. They are endless.

Being thankful, choosing to be thankful causes one to take their eyes off of their circumstances, and place them on things that are of more importance. Eternal things. Godly things. Things that cause us to grow in our attitude of thankfulness. Just like how smiling at someone causes a domino affect, it's just hard to not smile back...being thankful for one thing, causes you to consider ALL the other things we have to be thankful for.

I also find, the more I am thankful, the less I want. The more content I am because I see all my blessings so much more clearly. They are many. Many, many blessings. Things that only God knows I need, only God sees, and truly, that only God can give.

Sure, a new pair of pants is nice, and if you get them for me, I'd be thankful, but I am finding myself more thankful for the giver of the pants, then the pants, and for the hands that extend, the what's extended. That is what is so amazing about God and His grace. His ultimate gift. The gift I'd say that is most often overlooked. The gift of grace, eternal life and the gift of what's at stake. So what's at stake you say? Your very life. Our very lives. Someone had to pay the price for the very first gift. It was hugely expensive, in fact, it was so costly, the only form of payment that would actually suffice, was a life.

His life for yours. It's that amazing, and that simple. So the next time you find yourself asking, "what has God ever really done for me?" (and we do this in many ways, not always with those words) remind yourself of the very first gift ever given. His life for yours. You can't find that one at Target. So yes, I am thankful. Not for what I used to be though, I am thankful for what no man can take away, and no eye can see, something difficult for tongues to express and for we cannot measure in depth, in width or just how high is love of He who gives. Happy Thanksgiving.