Thankfulness...As An Exercise

Well, at the beginning of November I hopped on the "thankfulness bandwagon" thinking how fun it would be to broadcast the things for which I'm thankful.  I was happy to chronicle my days and count my blessings.  And it was a good exercise--but it was more than that.  It became the highlight of my day.  The thanksgiving begot thanksgiving.  The more I was thankful for, the more for which I was thankful.  God had a message for me in all of this, and I'd like to share it with you...what I realized as I traveled the thankfulness journey is when my house is a pit, my kids are disobedient, my marriage is tense, work is boring, school is hard, money is lacking, and I'm feeling depressed, there are still things for which to be thankful.  I'm not talking about living in denial, being a "Pollyanna" or pretending everything is okay.  I hate those things.  I often think that if that's what the Christian life is about, then I don't want it.  What I'm talking about are the things that matter in the core of our being...God being on His throne, showing and receiving love, growing through life's circumstances, helping and sharing with the people around us--these things change us and make life so much richer, even while we deal with pain and angst and challenge that we call life.  So while I may not continue to publicly post my thankfulness on a daily basis, I know that I need to continue to daily give thanks...it's an exercise that is good for me, that stretches me, that centers me, that humbles me...

Today I am thankful for God's Word.  I am thankful for sanctification.  I am thankful for study-buddy lunch dates with Matthew.  I am thankful for those people that try to understand me.  I am thankful that my husband tries to understand me.  I am thankful for a patient person in my life.  I am thankful for the humor in my life.  I am thankful that God never gives up on me.