Choosing Thankfulness...
Choosing Gratitude
Have you noticed that joy and pain aren't in separate compartments? When you look at the mountains from the valley, all you see are the ridge lines, not the valleys. If we wait for everything to be “peachy king” before we are grateful, we will never enter in to the attitude of gratitude.
We have friends who have suffered from the devastating fires both in Northern and Southern California. A Few years ago we celebrated my daughter's birthday at the Borderline restaurant where the horrible shooting took place in Thousand Oaks. Our hearts break for those who are suffering loss of homes and loss of the lives of dear loved ones.
Choosing gratitude does not mean that we ignore the heartbreak all around us, it just means that we acknowledge that we live in a world of pain and heartbreak. We are not promised an easy path, just a safe arrival. The promise of God is that He is with us, even "through the valley of the shadow of death." We have a God who understands our pain and comforts us with peace beyond our comprehension or explanation.
My recent binge watching of the series, "Band of Brothers," reminds me that other's excruciating pain and loss bought the freedom I enjoy today and it spurs me to reflect on what is important, what I am truly thankful for in this season of life, but more importantly, what will others thank God for about me one day?
I have to ask, “is my calendar and my financial investments reflective of what I value most and will make the greatest difference for the benefit of others? Will others be grateful at the end of my life for the decisions I made regarding people and missions and setting them up for a better day?
What better time than the Thanksgiving holiday to stop and reflect and evaluate the kind of legacy that I am creating today. It is time to evaluate priorities, and realign my focus on what matters most in loving and caring for those around me.
Hebrews 12:2 ...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.(ESV)
Jesus' pain on the cross is the ultimate example of sacrifice for the benefit of others, and for this I am profoundly grateful.
What about you?
