Thanksgiving Thinking

This is the month of thankfulness. All over people are thinking about what they are thankful for. I was so convicted today when I began to think about all that I have, because there are many times I choose to only focus on what I don’t have. The money I don’t have, the things I don’t have, the prayers that have not been answered. I focus on those things and then I begin to complain.

How many of us spend eleven months out of the year being ungrateful complainers? I am so sad to say that I am more of a complainer than I am someone who gives thanks with a grateful heart. What an ugly heart is the heart of a complainer.

Something happened over the past few weeks that helped to solidify what a jerk I felt like while I was in the middle of my complain fest. I participated in a half marathon last weekend and have spent the past six months training for this event. I usually would go to the gym a couple times a week to run on the treadmill with my friend Avery who was also going to run in Savannah.

It was so nice to have someone to run with, we would talk and knock out five miles like it was nothing! For the past two weeks Avery has been suffering with a kidney stone. That however did not keep her from being at the gym. She was there on the elliptical just like normal. Many times I would open my mouth to say how hard my long run was or how much I hated running only to realize Avery would love to be running right now. Instead she is on the elliptical in excruciating pain. A situation that most people would allow to keep them from running 13.1 miles did not stop Avery. She completed the race kidney stone an all.

What a slap in the face for me to even dare complain about how hard running was for me while I was perfectly healthy and injury free. Not once did this situation cause me to thank God for my health or my ability to run. Yuck! I was praying this morning and began to thank God for what I do have. I did not spend the majority of my prayers asking God for things that I don’t have and I gotta let you know I feel good! When we focus on the good, on what we do have it is easy to believe for a good life. It builds faith to believe God will continue to be good to us.

Matt reminded me of a scripture today in Psalms 37:23-24,
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

Even if that is all I have to be thankful for today I am going to do my best to be a person who is thankful 12 months out of the year. I am going to remember that the Lord is directing my steps and he is delighting in every detail of my life. He is holding my hand. That by itself without my family, my home, my blessed life is so much more than I deserve. God is concerned with my life, interested in every detail. I am thankful for that.

How can I not be thankful when everyday I get to have these little people? How can I not be thankful everyday that not only does God concern himself with the details of my life, He concerns Himself with the details of theirs.I hope that this month as you remember to be thankful, as you post what you are thankful for on your Facebook status that you will not forget to remember to thank the One who makes it all possible.

Don’t forget to give thanks to God for all He has done for you and all He will do in your future.