An Attitude of Gratitude Reminder
A year or so ago I wrote a blog on gratitude and being thankful for the many blessings we enjoy but take for granted. I believe I vowed, at least in my mind, to remain mindful of the blessings that life has given me. But I forgot to remember! So a blog, just like a good sermon, needs to repeat itself every so often to remain at the forefront of consciousness.
There are jobs that are known for putting people in the mood to confess, and believe it or not, the county treasurer's job can be one of those! Facebook is another place to see what people are dealing with and get some insight into their private lives. This past week has put me in mind of several situations that have given me cause to be thankful.
One person I talked to this past week mentioned great financial discouragement...and how I can relate to that! It's true that money can't buy happiness, but it sure can relieve some stress and make life easier! And the lack thereof can make life tough. I recall some times in the past 46 years when we felt totally swamped in debts and needs with no relief in sight. Seems that it colored every aspect of our lives to some degree, and made each day seem like a struggle. It was almost a physical burden to carry.
I have often reflected on finances and have, after many years, become content with the fact that money will probably always be our problem. Obviously we are not destitute, we have a comfortable home and three squares a day plus snacks when we want them. We live better than 90% of the world's population, but it's just easy to look around and see that we could have more in the way of financial blessings. Someone will always drive a nicer car, live in a nicer home, appear to have more money for fun stuff. So we have made a conscious effort to "be content with plenty or little". That little bit of an attitude adjustment has made life so much easier.
We have come to the conclusion that tangible items tend to own you, not the other way around. What you own you have to maintain, store or clean. And when you die someone has to clean it out of your house and get rid of it somewhere. I continue to move toward minimalist living a little more each day.
And to the young couple facing such a financial mountain, I can assure you that this mountain is not unmovable! The blessing of finances is coming, you just can't see from where or when right now.
Another gentleman confessed discouragement with some health issues he has been dealing with. That's a tougher issue than finances and also seems to impact finances in the way of healthcare costs and time lost from work. And, additionally, a physical health problem almost always becomes a mental health issue in the way of depression and discouragement.
There is never any guarantee in the outcome of a health issue no matter how serious or not it might be. In spite of the fact that we have such cutting edge medical technology available, God is ultimately the one who decides how these things turn out.
So, if you have any degree of health, there is a great cause for gratitude. Sure, we all have stuff that aches and malfunctions and sends us to the doctor. In my case I am discovering that I have been the cause of my issues in many ways. Junky eating habits and a couch potato lifestyle have played a big part in some of the problems, but that's not always the cause of our health issues. The gentleman I visited with was dealing with cancer and chemo...ouch, that's a tough one!
An attitude of gratitude is probably the best medicine there is. I know this only because I have observed it in others. Myself, I am a whiner! I play the "poor me" violin better than most. So, while I am praying for the gentleman with cancer and struggling through the chemo, I am going to also say a prayer of thanksgiving for my health!
A Facebook post I read this morning was of someone pouring out their frustration and discouragement. Seems that all hope was lost due to a change in circumstances and a financial loss of epic proportions. The losses can be devastating, both the financial and physical losses, but nothing hurts worse than the loss of hope. While it's true that hope is only a temporary loss, it still looms big and bad in our minds.
On a brighter note, despair can turn into hope on a dime. How many times has the loss of a dream cleared the way for an even better dream to come to fruition? Personally, I always think I am headed in the way I should go, until God puts up roadblocks and heads me in a different direction. Well, whata' ya' know? God knew better than I did and has the vision to see the future better than I do. So the loss of a dream is not the end of all dreams, just the end of that particular one. We tend to become so tunnel-visioned that the only thing we can see is the direction we were headed, even if it's the wrong direction. So my gratitude is not for the fact that my dreams have all been realized, but that I serve a God is able to orchestrate my life so much better than I sometimes believe He can. And because I can trust him to run my life, I can relax and enjoy it without fear and fret.
I periodically see blog posts from a friend who suffers with a bi-polar disorder. I have to admit that I don't "get" the bi-polar thing, but I know it's a real thing that some people suffer over greatly. It seems to be the worst of all curses because medical science is still unable to successfully treat it. The medical experts are trying but so far people suffering with this disorder just have to suffer through it. Medicines, faith in God and family support all seem to help to a degree but for the most part it seems to be a matter of "tie a knot and hang on".
I don't claim to be a poster child for mental health, but I am so thankful that my life is not controlled by depression. This is not to say that I never feel down over a particular situation or just have a little case of the blues for no reason, but for the most part my mood stays pretty steady and upbeat. For many years I just took that for granted, but I am beginning to see just what a huge blessing that is in my life and in the lives of those around me. To begin a day with hope and enthusiasm is not something we should take for granted. With my impending retirement I am a bit concerned about making the adjustment from being with the public 40 hours a week to being home a lot more and having my identity rooted in something other than my job, but hopefully I can make the transition without major emotional upheaval.
So, I hope this encourages someone today. If I failed to encourage you, at least I encouraged myself to remember how very blessed I am and to say a prayer of thanksgiving for all that I have been given in life. And when I count my blessings, I will include thanksgiving for all the people in my life like you!
There are jobs that are known for putting people in the mood to confess, and believe it or not, the county treasurer's job can be one of those! Facebook is another place to see what people are dealing with and get some insight into their private lives. This past week has put me in mind of several situations that have given me cause to be thankful.
One person I talked to this past week mentioned great financial discouragement...and how I can relate to that! It's true that money can't buy happiness, but it sure can relieve some stress and make life easier! And the lack thereof can make life tough. I recall some times in the past 46 years when we felt totally swamped in debts and needs with no relief in sight. Seems that it colored every aspect of our lives to some degree, and made each day seem like a struggle. It was almost a physical burden to carry. I have often reflected on finances and have, after many years, become content with the fact that money will probably always be our problem. Obviously we are not destitute, we have a comfortable home and three squares a day plus snacks when we want them. We live better than 90% of the world's population, but it's just easy to look around and see that we could have more in the way of financial blessings. Someone will always drive a nicer car, live in a nicer home, appear to have more money for fun stuff. So we have made a conscious effort to "be content with plenty or little". That little bit of an attitude adjustment has made life so much easier.
We have come to the conclusion that tangible items tend to own you, not the other way around. What you own you have to maintain, store or clean. And when you die someone has to clean it out of your house and get rid of it somewhere. I continue to move toward minimalist living a little more each day.
And to the young couple facing such a financial mountain, I can assure you that this mountain is not unmovable! The blessing of finances is coming, you just can't see from where or when right now.
There is never any guarantee in the outcome of a health issue no matter how serious or not it might be. In spite of the fact that we have such cutting edge medical technology available, God is ultimately the one who decides how these things turn out.
So, if you have any degree of health, there is a great cause for gratitude. Sure, we all have stuff that aches and malfunctions and sends us to the doctor. In my case I am discovering that I have been the cause of my issues in many ways. Junky eating habits and a couch potato lifestyle have played a big part in some of the problems, but that's not always the cause of our health issues. The gentleman I visited with was dealing with cancer and chemo...ouch, that's a tough one!
An attitude of gratitude is probably the best medicine there is. I know this only because I have observed it in others. Myself, I am a whiner! I play the "poor me" violin better than most. So, while I am praying for the gentleman with cancer and struggling through the chemo, I am going to also say a prayer of thanksgiving for my health!
On a brighter note, despair can turn into hope on a dime. How many times has the loss of a dream cleared the way for an even better dream to come to fruition? Personally, I always think I am headed in the way I should go, until God puts up roadblocks and heads me in a different direction. Well, whata' ya' know? God knew better than I did and has the vision to see the future better than I do. So the loss of a dream is not the end of all dreams, just the end of that particular one. We tend to become so tunnel-visioned that the only thing we can see is the direction we were headed, even if it's the wrong direction. So my gratitude is not for the fact that my dreams have all been realized, but that I serve a God is able to orchestrate my life so much better than I sometimes believe He can. And because I can trust him to run my life, I can relax and enjoy it without fear and fret.
I don't claim to be a poster child for mental health, but I am so thankful that my life is not controlled by depression. This is not to say that I never feel down over a particular situation or just have a little case of the blues for no reason, but for the most part my mood stays pretty steady and upbeat. For many years I just took that for granted, but I am beginning to see just what a huge blessing that is in my life and in the lives of those around me. To begin a day with hope and enthusiasm is not something we should take for granted. With my impending retirement I am a bit concerned about making the adjustment from being with the public 40 hours a week to being home a lot more and having my identity rooted in something other than my job, but hopefully I can make the transition without major emotional upheaval.
So, I hope this encourages someone today. If I failed to encourage you, at least I encouraged myself to remember how very blessed I am and to say a prayer of thanksgiving for all that I have been given in life. And when I count my blessings, I will include thanksgiving for all the people in my life like you!
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