I am not sure about you, but I have often struggled with ungratefulness. Comparison is an easy thief of joy, and I have and still do struggle with not being grateful for where God has me or what God has given me. For example, things I have struggled with is coveting what other people have, such as nice clothes, nice cars, athletic ability, and the list could go on. It is safe to say that is something we all have or at some point will struggle with. When I find myself consumed with what I “don’t have” and my selfish desires, I miss out on what God IS doing in my life and what I do have to be thankful for.
A few years ago, I read a book called “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. In this book, she walks through events that have happened in her life and talks about the grace of God and how we can be have a heart of gratitude in the good and the bad. I will be honest, it is not a light, easy read. It’s one of those books that you have to digest and even go back and re-read the page, maybe even the entire chapter.
In the same way, reading this book really challenged me to see God in the small things. Often times I find myself needing this major victory from God. I want to see this big movement from God in my life, where I can jump from the hard and painful, right into the healed, but that’s not always how God works. While God does work in big, miraculous ways, he always can be found working in the small things. The very subtle victories, that probably happen daily, but I am too consumed in my anxiety and worries to even see it.
One of the things that has stuck with me ever since I read that book is the importance to be thankful and see God in the small things. In the book, she challenges herself to make a list of a thousand things she loves and things God has given her, some big, some small. This challenge she made to herself gave her a new perspective of grace and thankfulness and challenged me to reflect on my attitude and perspective.
Am I thanking God enough?
Do I even see what God is doing in my life daily?
What else should I be thanking Him for?
Change Your Perspective on Giving Thanks
It is so easy to get caught up in the big picture of life and focus on what you don’t have rather than what you do. The weight of the next mountain we have to climb can lead to stress and anxiety, but I challenge you, as well as myself, to shift your perspective to seeing God in the small blessings. Be aware of how God is working in your life daily and be thankful for even the smallest things, you may be surprised on how your perspective will change.
So, I will leave you with a few small things that I am thankful for.
- Gold morning light entering a dark, quiet living room.
- The lull of the ocean waves at night at the beach.
- Waking up feeling fully rested.
“And when I give thanks for the seemingly microscopic, I make a place for God to grow within me.” -Ann Voskamp
