“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100
The strange thing about gratitude is it brings a new founded joy, a contagious joy; not only does it ground you, you find yourself in the same predicament only now with a new founded happiness and perspective for life. A number of years ago I started a 365 Grateful Project, which I then continued for three years. This mammoth of a task: taking a photo every day despite my feelings and then documenting it on my first blog, became more than just a photograph and a few words, it became this opportunity to be realistic and connect with God on a new level. To be creative with words, without a tune attached and to enjoy writing from my heart. Those years were so rewarding, I couldn’t recommend it enough. The renewing of your mind really is found in tiny steps toward a main goal. To see the beauty in the small things of life = Grateful Attitude = Content and Grateful.
When practiced, gratitude will change you; it will change your relationships, it will change how you parent, change how you lead teams and how you worship. It doesn’t fix everything, because life still happens and there are still some dark places we have to traverse; however it can draw you out of insurmountable perspective and into a place of praise. Gratitude resets your stance of worship and realigns your eyes off you and your situation, towards Him. I have had moments in choosing thankfulness where the veil has been lifted and I could see more clearly. For me personally, I found myself more and more in love with my husband and my children, as I learned to magnify their strengths and encourage, rather than belittle their growth areas. I have learned to listen more deeply to my family, as I learn to see their quirks and seasons are equally as valid as my own. I have appreciated the smaller gestures throughout any given day. I have made efforts to show acts of love throughout my day – strangers or old slippers friends. My friendships have been taken to a whole new level, as I take in who they really are and love them in new ways. I have learned to connect with God in the beauty of His creation, His love and His timing. I have learned to surround myself in an attitude of giving and encouraging and seeking out others before myself. In many ways it revealed that perspective stems from what you choose to see.
I am continuing to choose the lens of gratitude for my future and I encourage you to do so too, as you walk each step out may it be in the light and love of thankfulness. We are truly blessed, it takes a choice to see beyond the little annoyances of anything and everything to see complaining and pessimism gets us nowhere.