Gratitude.
That’s a tough one to remember to focus on. Not because we’re not grateful. But because everything around us tell us to want more. Every time we turn on the television, we’re reminded of something that we want that we don’t have.
Every time we flip through a magazine, we see clothes that we want that are more beautiful than the clothes in our own closets. Or we see a beautiful woman with a body that we’d die to have.
We watch movies with beautiful homes or log in to our Twitter or Facebook accounts to see photos of a friend’s new home and it all comes rushing back. The wanting.
I’ve been reading along with #SheReadsTruth and the community of bloggers and readers that are doing the “Living the Surrendered Life” daily devotional. (I’m still reading Jesus Calling daily, but this is great, too!)
I love logging on to Twitter and Instagram to see the other women that are participating and what they’re learning each day.
Today’s devotion focused on prayer (timely, right?) and praise. Yesterday’s devotion was all about gratitude. Three very important themes for me right now.
When I think really hard, am I truly grateful for our house? I spend so much time wishing it was different and fit our worldly needs better, but I’m not spending much time just thanking God for our shelter and the good fortune that we have for being born in the United States. Am I thankful for the memories here? Coming home here after our wedding and after the birth of our children?
Do I realize how very much we have to be grateful for? Do I show the Lord all the gratitude I feel?
Do I really recognize how often I should be praising Him for my healthy children? And because my husband has a job? Do I praise him for the opportunity that I have to be at home with our kids?
Even though they try my patience, do I stop and show gratitude for the precious boys that are mine? Just because they’re mine and that God trusted me with them? And they’re wonderful and adorable and so, so precious to me. They lose a little of their innocence every single day and that makes my responsibility even bigger. To be thankful and to show an example of gratitude.
It’s so easy to focus on all that we don’t have. Everything about our culture has trained us to do that.
And back to last week’s post… I need to be in constant dialogue with the Lord just rejoicing in every single thing He has given me. And not just material possessions or my family. His beautiful creation that I so often take for granted. If I’m thinking of Him all throughout the day and constantly talking with Him, then He’s constantly with me. In my thoughts and in my words. In my interaction with friends and strangers.
Today, I am making a list of 10 people or things that I’m thankful for. I’m going to try to journal this exercise every day.
1. Todd
2. Hudson and Hayes
3. Our parents
4. Our home
5. Todd’s job
6. Food
7. Wonderful friendships
8. Religious freedom
9. Our family’s health
10. Our church family
What are you thankful for today? Will you be reading along with #SheReadsTruth?
I love this post Erin! I started making a list too and then I was completely convicted by all of the things I think I “need.” Looking at that list made me realize that I have everything I could EVER need and I should appreciate those things more and worry about the rest less.
This is so great. I needed to read this today. I’m going to make a list as well and remind myself to give thanks for things (not necessarily material) that we have and not want we want. It’s good to have a wake up call every once in a while. Thank you!
I just started a gratitude journal…an idea from the book, The Happiness Project. Every night before bed, I write 3 things I am thankful for from the day and 3 things I am looking forward to tomorrow. It really helps put me in a good frame of mind 🙂
Love this idea! Thanks for sharing:)
Erin, I love this! I have been hearing a lot of good things about the “She Reads Truth” devotional program – may have to check it out. Lately, I have been struggling with being thankful too. I feel like, as a fellow blogger, I always need to be sharing the latest and coolest new stuff, and that’s just a breeding ground for wanting more and more all the time. And that’s just not right – not what God wants. I have so much to be thankful for, but I forget about all of it in the pursuit of more. Thank you for reminding me to step back and be grateful for my many blessings! Hope you have a wonderful day:)
I read a quote once that said something to the effect of “What if you woke up tomorrow morning with only the things you thanked God for the night before?” Ever since I make sure and thank God in prayer for the things I’d be afraid to lose tomorrow.
I’m grateful for:
My husband
My son
My parents and sisters
My husbands job
Our home and food
My sister is visiting me this week here in Scotland. Grateful doesn’t even express how wonderful it is to have her here with me. It is nice to be near family.
This post made me stop and thank God for all the blessings in my life. I forgot all too often how much I have and instead spend too much time looking at what I don’t have.
Right now I am very grateful for this post! It’s very easy to get caught up in everything we do every day & I am thankful for your reminder 🙂
Someone once told me about a wonderful way to start & end each day (I havnt done it in a while but this reminded me to start it up again): Picture a big sign with 10 things written on it that you are thankful for. Picturing all of the things written on the sign is supposed to help you remember them all day 🙂
What a great post! Love this.
oops, sorry I did not mean to post that link! i was just trying to say that i love your post, and its a great message that i definitley took to heart!
yet another timely post that hit me right where i live. right where i am today: not in a great place emotionally, and yet…i still have so much to be grateful for. so much. today i’m grateful for you dear erin. the Lord has blessed me through you more times than i can count. thank you for all you do.
this entire week i’ve crossed out item #1: “devotional reading/prayer time” on my laminated (dry erasable) daily to do list and replaced it with learning lines for a play i’m in. yes. i did that. why? because i’m mad. and because walking the walk is REALLY hard right now. so, i gave up.
i’m going to pick myself up and join in with you and She Reads Truth in reading “living the surrendered life”
also, i thank you for your post about “jesus calling”. so much of what you posted hit home for me, but i’ve been sulking too much to comment (and truthfully, struggling just to get through my days). i think that (or living the surrendered life) might be a better devotional for me right now than “the love dare 365” one that i was working through…and scrapped. my relationship with the Lord needs to come first in my life – above all else. i’m going to focus on that.
Wow your post brought tears to my eyes. God is teaching me some hard lessons about being content and gratefulness. Yesterday, I was just listening on K Love to Louis Palau and he was talking about being grateful. He said the way that we can continue to be grateful is to think about the positive in every situation. He said, when our car breaks down and we have to walk somewhere, think of someone in a wheelchair who would love the chance to walk, when we have a fight with our spouse, think of someone who just wishes to experience what it would be like to love and be loved in return, or if we have a tough day at work, think about how someone just wishes that they would have a steady job, when we are tired of having the same meal, think of those who are starving all over the world. There is always an opportunity to be grateful, even when things aren’t turning out the way we want them to. Such a hard lesson to learn when I am a person who truly battles with that. I know God can change me though and I am ready for it. I really want to join with She Reads Truth. Sounds like it has a lot of godly wisdom that I need to learn.
Such a wonderful post that really fit what I needed to read lately. I’m trying to focus on how thankful I am for my children. I just had a little girl, my third and final baby. I’m pretty sad that I’m done having kids, but I also know that we have been truly blessed and my family is complete. I sometimes feel jealousy when others are welcoming new babies to their home, but during those short moments of envy, I am completely forgetting that I have three of the most wonderful gifts from God.
I am working on focusing on the wonderful things in my life that I should be grateful for instead of looking at what other have, but I could always use the reminder to look at what I have and not at others.
Thank you for such a great post. It makes me feel a little better to know I am not the only one struggling with the issue.
This is a beautiful post. The wanting is in our face all day every day. It is so cathartic to stop and think about the people, experience and privileges we are blessed with daily.
I feel happier just stopping to think about my beautiful healthy son and my husband–all the additional blessings are extra 🙂
Its so nice to “know” someone going through some of same things I am. I told a friend yesterday’s reading was like a smack in the face. In prep for baby number 2 I am so frustrated with my little house…every home we look at that’s larger is too pricey or needs too much work. Shame on me for having a pity party when I have a lovely home and food on the table..and most importantly healthy family members. I struggle every day with being GRATEFUL and it should be easy.
I adore you friend…and think your perspective on things in right on. TC, Hudson, and Hayes are so very lucky 🙂
This post is so great! Thanks for sharing your heart!
I’m reading along with SheReadsTruth. But I need to get better about writing down whats in my heart when I’m reading! It’s so easy to get caught up with two little ones and feeling like I don’t have five minutes to write things down! At least I’m reading and God knows where my heart is. Baby steps and hopefully I’ll get there! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have been!
I read that the key to happiness is not in getting what you want,but, in wanting what you “got”….. I have found this to be true…….Love this post.
I was given a box of scriptures/prayers for Mother’s Day from my church. I’ve been posting a new one every week on my rear view mirror in my car. My new one on Sunday was encouraging me to slow down and consider the MANY WAYS He’s at work in my life right now and to praise Him for…(fill in the blank). It’s so easy to forget to praise Him for the most simple things…like food and shelter. Because I’ve always had it. I do have to say, every time I see someone at the bus stop, waiting in this terrible heat, I immediately thank Him for my car with a/c. We’ve been car shopping for two years now and I start to get antsy and then He quickly reminds me that a car gets you from point A to point B…doesn’t matter what we drive. I would love something bigger but we just haven’t found the right one yet…for the right price. Like you said, it’s so easy to get caught up in wanting more, it can be a never ending cycle. Thank you for this post.
Thanks for this post Erin! Although we can all have gratitude, it’s different to take that necessary step to thank Him each and every day for all the blessings we receive, no matter how big or small. Thanks for the reminder!
Ya know, all of the wildfires happening out west have started to really make me think about my “stuff.” And it puts everything into perspective. Many people are lucky to be getting out alive today, and are being left with nothing. So I’m going to start living like that: remembering what to actually be grateful for. And it’s not “stuff;” it’s people and experiences 🙂 I love your post today!