I've been trying to practice gratitude more often in my daily life. It's amazing how much power that has to lift my spirits!
*I can wake up and think, "Ugh...it's April and it's still a cold day." Or I can choose to say with the Psalmist, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
*I can feel ho-hum about what seems like an ordinary day with our routine schedule. Or I can be grateful that I am experiencing a day like this as opposed to a day where my child receives a negative medical diagnosis, or my husband dies, or we have a financial crisis.
*I can get stressed out because I can't just get up, get dressed, and sit down to coffee and breakfast in peace and quiet. Instead, I have to deal with Kate complaining that Will is touching her tea set. Kate wanted to chat with me as I was reading the Psalm above. It's hard to load the dishwasher because Will wants to climb up on it. I can choose to give in to the stress of it all, or I can choose to accept that this is what life with young children is like. I can be grateful I even have children, that they act in age-appropriate ways, that I have a husband who is a true partner in parenting, and a God I can pray to for patience!
*I can focus on the negative, or I can focus on the positive! I can choose to rejoice in my child's laughter, the first signs of spring, the roof over our heads, and the things I find so interesting about living in Canada. This can take conscious effort because it seems like our natural tendency can be to take the good things for granted, and focus on what we feel we lack.
"Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Censorious or pastoral?
12 hours ago
4 comments:
How I relate to your post! We MUST learn to be grateful so that we don't become resentful. Lately I feel like God is saying to me "Just surrender to your life, stop fighting what it is" because too many times I am frustrated by the stage I'm in with the kids. Right now it just is what it is. It's a stage of total servitude, and God is teaching me to serve Him with gladness and become more like Christ, who "emptied himself, and took on a servant's nature." Not always fun, but definitely a refining process. Thanks for reminding me of gratitude in this post!
I'm coming round to your house for a cup of tea. I need to sit in your company for a while and take a lesson or two from you! ;)
This is profound, Erin, and helpful to me. Thank you!
Thanks Amy--I figured you'd be able to relate! Motherhood is refining isn't? Even more than marriage!
S--you are welcome for tea any time!!! But don't be deceived--this might be my ideal but I'm not that great at living it out!
Dad O--I'm glad if I can say something helpful to you!
Post a Comment