Grateful

One of the things I have learned along the way is to live with gratitude.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (I Thessalonians 16-18).  Rejoicing and praying is easy compared to the admonition of giving thanks.  While I have not reached the level of Paul, I am further along the way than I used to be.  Keeping a Prayer Journal taught me that in the darkest of times, there are things for which to be thankful.  This is not a Pollyanna approach to life, but one filled with realism.   

All of us have been through some very dark and hard moments in our life.  In those moments being grateful may be difficult.  In such moments we might imagine ourselves standing at the edge of the darkness.  At the edge of our darkness we can see the people who are encouraging us, the people who are praying for us, the care being given to us, and the awareness that we have not been forgotten by God.  As we start at the edge of the darkness, we can slowly move into it still mindful of the things and the people for which we can be grateful.    

Maybe this discipline or practice does not work for everyone, but it has enabled me to be grateful in circumstances which could have caused anger or bitterness.  One thing is certain.  Life is lived better when we look at every circumstance through the lens of gratitude.  And remember, too, "this is the will of God."