Have you counted your blessings lately? Or are you among those who are griping all of the time? I am so humbled when I think about the things about which I complain. I complain about the weather, yet I’ve got a nice warm home. I complain about not knowing “what in the world are we going to have for supper?” . . yet, my freezer and pantry are full. I complain about not having “anything to wear,” yet my closet is full of clothes. I complain about the rising cost of gas, but at least I have a car to drive.
Friends, oh how blest we are! There are people in this world who have lost everything – their homes, their livelihoods, their home towns where all of their memories are, and yes, some have even lost their loved ones – their families and their friends. And yet, when interviewed, they express gratitude that they’re still alive and ready to face another day. Gratitude is a mindset. It is a choice. In Philippians 4, Paul told his fellow-Christians to “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). The church at Philippi was being persecuted – surely Paul didn’t know what he was talking about! But, when Paul was writing these very words, he was imprisoned – chained to the praetorian guard. He knew of their struggles, but he was able to tell them to “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). The only was to way to be anxious for nothing is to be prayerful for everything and thankful for all things.
Yes, gratitude is a choice. So, today, I’m going to count my blessings, knowing that God has promised “to never leave me nor forsake me” (Hebrews 13:5). The Persian poet Sa’di is credited with saying, “I once complained because I had no shoes – until I met a man who had no feet.” Think about that one. Simply blessed, Courtney