Gratitude Attitude

Is the attitude of gratitude a useful asset? Does taking the time to list what you cherish worthwhile? In the midst of a trial is it wise to consider "what is the good, the value, the purpose of this?" Does complaining lift your spirit or the spirits of those around you? We all delight in and favor some people and experiences more than others. Do you delight more in the people that vent and complain, or in the people that tend to point out the positive and encourage us?  Truly, most people are thankful for some things more than others, but have you honestly listed what you are authentically thankful for? God tells us in His living Word to "give thanks in all things".  Obediently, have you thanked God for the

dismal days in which you were challenged to rise above the circumstance?  Even after a horrible experience, positive people look for the good and proclaim it. Have you been thankful for the ears to hear and the ability to laugh and sing?  How about being grateful for your sense of smell?  Consider a world without color?  Imagine if everyone had black hair, black eyes and black skin?  What if all the trees were black, and all the fruit was black.  Have you thanked God for the variety of color? It is easy to take a lot of our every day life for granted, but what if you did not have hands or fingers?  We could not hug, we could not easily type, write or play the piano without hands and fingers.  What

would the world be like without music or flowers?  All movies would be in black and white without that background music which helps to set the tone and communicate during the expanse of a movie.  Consider how singing effects your mood. Singing God bless America stirs many to think of victory, while singing the blues makes us reflect on times of sorrow. Some music makes our bodies sway and our toes tap and some loony lyrics make us laugh. The truth is God laughs and He sings over us and when we take the time to know our heavenly Father, we begin to understand the value of our relationship with Him and all that He has provided for our pleasure.

Listing and reviewing what I am thankful for...just before I celebrate my 65th year of living. Dear Lord Jesus, I am thankful for the husband the Lord chose for me. Why? Because Michael is a man after God's own heart and he honors me as his wife.  Mike is patient with me, and he give me space as I require it. My husband treats me with kindness and calls me his German princess.  Mike is generous in his desire to help around the house and he was willing to transplant himself in a foreign country.  I am thankful that my husband enjoys my quirky ways and the faces I make. He is proud to introduce me and quick to want to please me. We share the same "purpose" in this life and that is to draw close to our Creator, to walk in obedience and to please God and be of service.  I am thankful that God placed Michael in my life for His purposes, that we can be of service in our new community and laugh at the days to come.  My list continues that I may add the little and the big things that I grateful for:
1) My salvation and the ability to communicate with God, my Father, Jesus the King of kings.
2) My eyes to see beauty, my ears to hear music, and my hands to hug, and keep busy
3) The parents that God chose for me, and the lessons I have learned through struggles
4) The children God knitted into my womb, and the awesome priviledge of being a mother
5) The experiences I have been given that have increased my compassion and mercy for others
6) The many people He placed in my path to love, to encourage and to help
7) The everpresent Holy Spirit, to lean on, call on, and trust in for decisions to be made
8) Nature, trees, sunsets, lakes, the ocean, animals, flowers and the majestic vistas to renew me
9) God's living Word and His guidance, mercy, grace and deliverance from evil
10) My final destination, heaven, and the reunion with Jesus and my beloved family members