Journal Entry ~ 09/28/17
1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. - Psalm 107:1-3
We have so much to be thankful for, but far too often our attention is grabbed by all that is going wrong in our lives. When our eyes are set on the things in front of us, we can quickly lose sight of all the blessings He has given us, but when we set our minds Him and all He has done for us, we should be falling down on our knees in humble gratitude. He gave His life so I could be free. Me. Despite the fact that I have done nothing to deserve it, He loved me enough to pursue me until He finally got my attention all those years ago. Then He showed me how He sacrificed His life so that I would know His love, and so that I could spend eternity with the Father. And even though I continue to fail at reaching the bar He set every single day of my life, He remains constant and faithful in His love for me. He didn't just do that for me, He did that for every one of us.
We’re reminded throughout this psalm that gratitude is a choice. We have a choice where we set our minds and what we choose to focus our thoughts on. In each section of this psalm, we are introduced to a different group of people who are walking through challenging trials. In each circumstance, they cried out to God and He rescued them. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them choose to be thankful. When we choose an attitude of gratitude in all circumstances, we change our perspective. It turns what little you have into enough, it brings peace to our trials, it turns fear into trust, it brings comfort to our loneliness. Without gratitude, we can quickly spiral into despair as we focus on all the things that have gone wrong or failed in our lives. But choosing gratitude in all circumstances brings Hope to even the darkest of days. Because we are called to be thankful, when we choose an attitude of gratitude, we are being obedient....and with obedience comes blessings ~ a supernatural hope, peace, strength, and comfort that doesn’t even make sense given our circumstances.
Yesterday was a rough day - I was told I will endure chemo as part of my treatment for an entire year, and it’s set to begin with the next 10 days. As I was processing the news all day yesterday, I continued to make a choice to focus on what I am grateful for. Above anything else, I have a God who loves me with an unshakable love and He is walking through this trial with me. He has surrounded me with the most loving people to care for me, to encourage me, and to give me strength. I am so grateful for the incredible husband he has chosen for me, for the loving family He has placed me in, for the supportive friends He has surrounded me with. I am so blessed. Gratitude is a choice. I could choose to focus on all that seems to be going wrong right now, or I can choose to focus on all that is beautiful.
Press on ~ you are loved
This is so true!! God has been teaching me to be thankful and to not miss out on today by worrying about tomorrow or dwelling on the past! Even though our trials we have a lot to be thankful for!😊💕 “This is the day the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24
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