Looking With Gratitude

What do we see today in the circumstances we find ourselves in?  For years I saw lack and uncertainty and deficiency and difficulty.  

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Making an effort to see the good things and giving thanks.

I’m not sure quite how the practice started for me but one example always comes to mind.

I was teaching a 5^th or 6^th grade class in Taiwan and the superintendent of schools was coming in to my classroom to do an evaluation.  He was a new guy.  I was nervous but off we went with the lesson.

Later in the day when we sat down for our conversation and his evaluation of what he’d seen he handed me a piece of paper with a small list on it, “Ten Good Teaching Practices I Saw In Your Room Today.”

I was still a fairly new teacher at the time and I’m quite sure I could have done many things better that day but he focused on things that were done well and those were the only things we talked about. 

What an impact that had on me – not just on my teaching but on my life and what I looked for from day to day and situation to situation.

Anyone who knows me knows about gratitude lists that are part of the fabric of who I am.  When times were tough I set an alarm and every hour I stopped what I was doing to consider one thing that was good in the past hour. 

When I wanted to complain I had a discipline where I had to list 20 things I was grateful for and then if I still felt like complaining I could.

“In everything give thanks” is what we are told in God’s Word.  I don’t see it as a demand but more as wonderful life guidance that changes the quality of every day and every circumstance.

I know that personally it has been one of the most transformative practices that has lifted me up over and over again.

Help us Lord to give thanks in all things.  It only makes sense that we pray continually along with that because it is Your presence and Your kindness and Your generosity to us that, as we said previously, “in all things, at all times, having everything we need” that fills our life with all we need. 

I think I’ll go and make a gratitude list right now.  Why don’t you do the same.