At this time of year, our thoughts turn to gratitude. We begin to do a type of inventory of our blessings or good things in our lives. This is a beautiful thing to do.
As we ponder our many blessings, our hearts are filled with a glow of happiness. This feeling spurs many to take this opportunity to express their feelings to their loved ones with words or special actions.
Webster defines gratitude as follows:
Gratitude (noun): the state of being grateful: Thankfulness
grateful (adjective):
a. appreciative of benefits received
expressing gratitude
We can all agree that taking the time to recognize and reflect on the good things in our lives is a lovely exercise, especially when we understand and acknowledge who is responsible for giving us each of them.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:7
Sparks of Joy
Blessings that can escape our notice can be those everyday things that have become common. Many of these are mere seasons in our lives and will be dearly missed when they are no longer part of our lives.
Sometimes, we are just focused on getting through our daily list of things to do, and we miss noticing those less ''flashy'' blessings of everyday life. If we aren't careful, we can get so entangled in our to-do list that we don't engage in the opportunities to participate in those everyday blessings and miss them altogether.
What are some things that spark your joy? Here are a few of mine:
Spending time with family.
An unexpected greeting/message from a loved one.
Time spent with a trusted friend.
Playtime with a child.
Snuggles with a pet.
The sound of rain on a metal roof.
Freshly fallen snow.
The beauty of the sunrise and sunset.
A good belly laugh.
The waves upon the shore.
A walk in the forest.
Isn't it funny that the ones that are the easiest to miss as an actual blessing are the ones that our hearts long for the most once they are no longer present? True happiness cannot be purchased; it comes from our experiences with our Creator and His creations.
Practice Makes Perfect
What does the word practice mean in the context of this conversation? Webster's says the following:
Practice: transitive verb
a: carry out, apply
to do or perform often, customarily, or habitually
a. to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient
b. to train by repeated exercises
When we want to learn something new or hone our skills to improve on something we already know how to do, we must put in the time to become more accustomed to the actions associated with the craft. In this case, however, we are speaking more about making something a habit. Creating habits takes deliberate effort applied persistently over time. There are no shortcuts.
Carpe Diam
How can we cultivate gratitude in our day-to-day life? An excellent place to start is to ask the Father to help us be more aware daily. To help us slow down and notice the blessings all around us.
Create habits that will help you be more aware; ways to slow down and be less distracted:
Visual reminders: meaningful poems, quotes, scripture verses, or pictures.
Prayer log or journal: list out your blessings and offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to our gracious Creator for them.
Set aside time to express your thankfulness artistically: draw, doodle, coloring pages, paint, write a poem, journal, dance, sing-the- the possibilities are many, take your pick!
Begin your day with a prayer of thanksgiving. Write your own or consider giving this traditional prayer a try:
Modah Ani
Modah ani l'fanecha, Melech chai v'kayam, shehechzarta bi nishmati, b' chemla raba emuna techa.
I offer thanks to you, living and eternal King, for you have mercifully restored my soul within me; how great is your trust!
What would it look like if you were making a list of your blessings? Here is my shortlist:
Life
Family
Friends
Freedom to practice (walkout) my faith/convictions without fear of danger.
Provision- a home, enough food to eat, clothing needed, vehicles to get me where I need to go.
Most of all, a loving Creator who makes all these things possible.
Joy in the Midst of Adversity
But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this, Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10
What about the seemingly bad things in our lives; can we find some joy in those situations, too?
"Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. The threshing floor shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you." Joel 2:23-25
We may not always be able to see the good in the bad. Some situations are too heavy or time-consuming for us even to be able to begin to look for the good in them. The pain is too deep, and the circumstances too overwhelming. In these times, it can be hard to know what steps to take to resolve the situation. Perhaps the hardest of all are the times when there is nothing we can do to change the situation, and we can't find an answer to the question: "What good could possibly come from this?" no matter how hard we look.
The untimely death of a loved one. The loss of a cherished relationship. Having your character slandered. The loss of all that you worked to build.
Some losses are final.
We must seek the Father and His opinion when the situation is unchangeable. With His help, we can change our perspective or how we see the situation. Then, we can wait for Him to show us the details behind the big picture. The subplot, if you will.
His Image Bearers
Please make no mistake: the people around us are watching how we navigate life's circumstances. How we behave in those tight places can be a source of strength and future encouragement to those around us. Hard times reveal our true character.
Our actions speak louder than words. When our actions contradict our spoken words, they will be a lasting lesson to those around us. Unless you are shedding light on overcoming behaviors, using yourself as an example, "Do as I say, not as I do." should not be your teaching method.
We don't have to handle a problematic situation perfectly for the Creator to use it as an encouragement for someone else. Seeing someone fall apart and get back up amid tragedy can be inspiring. We can fully acknowledge the situation for what it is while at the same time refusing to ''curse'' God for them. (Picture Job)
How do we help ourselves in these situations?
Check your Attitude: Does it seem that everything is going wrong and life is unfair? Have we indeed been wronged somehow, or are we just unhappy with some current circumstances we find ourselves in? We want to be careful not to fall into a pity pot and begin to believe that nothing is as it should be.
Check your Self Talk: This is my battleground. Do you find yourself rehearsing or replaying conversations in your head or out loud? Wishing you had said something different or hoping (longing) for the opportunity to say it? This practice will bear fruit, but you will not want to eat it. It is important to note that this differs from an honest, Ruach-led assessment of how you handled a prior situation. One has growth potential, and the other has the potential for death.
Honest Communication with the Creator: Make sure you only spend part of the time talking. Take the time to listen and truly hear what the Creator says about the situation.
Check your Circle: Who's in your circle? Are the people that you are taking counsel from qualified?
What can we do when we have blown it?
Acknowledge It: We must acknowledge it for what it truly is while carefully not diminishing or inflating it. We can ask the Ruach to reveal the actual ramifications of our actions.
Repent: We must repair the breach created between the Creator and us by our actions. We can ask the Ruach to show us other related areas or situations to repent of and change. It is crucial here that we refrain from rationalizing these insights away. Embrace the opportunity for growth, knowing that the Creator corrects those he loves.
Own It: We have to own our actions. To truly grow beyond our former selves, we can not make excuses for our actions. We should examine them to understand why we reacted as we did. We can ask the Ruach to show us why we may respond as we did and how we can improve in the future.
Repair It: We should make reasonable restitution to the injured ones by our actions or inactions. An honest apology from a place of genuine humility can go a very long way. We can ask the Ruach to reveal the best way to repair (Tikkun) the damage done in the relationship.
Joy Peddlers
Practicing an attitude of gratitude isn't just good for us; it is good for those around us.
When we practice gratitude, we are in a much better position to share the love of Yeshua with those around us. I want to be so full of gratitude that the joy of the LORD spills out for all to see.
We reproduce after our kind. What are we producing?
About Me:
Tina Fallstead is a wife and mother whose passion is to enable other women to become all that the Creator has created them to be. She is a member of the Cherokee Nation and is excited to be on the path of learning the ways of her ancestors. She and her husband are blessed to lead a congregation in their community called The Way of Life Ministries. Tina has recently launched a women's ministry called Geulah Gals, focused on 'Hastening the Geulah through serving the community alongside our sisters.
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