Thankfulness... not just the last Thursday in November

by Darin
(Fort Lewis WA)

I want to applaud you for this blog. Too often we complain about what we do NOT have. This is the glass half empty syndrome in my humble opinion. Our society seems to focus more on the negative in most aspects of life.

Take the people who report our weather for us. They say things like, "Today it will be partly cloudy with a 30% chance of rain". There is another way to look at that, might it be mostly sunny with a 70% chance it won't rain? People complaining that they have run out of room in their refrigerator. Isn't that a good thing? That means you have an abundance of food.

I think that when we adopt a grateful attitude and make it an everyday part of our lives, our whole demeanour changes. We begin to have a positive outlook on a daily basis. We are happier, healthier, and life takes on a different "bend". It is no wonder the apostle Paul said things like "In all things give thanks, and I thank God every time I think of you (Philippines 1:3).

I have been apart from my family for 3 months now while attending an Army course. I can sulk and say "Woe is me", or I can be thankful that I even HAVE a family to miss. Your blog has reminded me to sincerely be thankful not just on the last Thursday of November, but to adopt thankfulness as a way of life.

"Thank God in everything no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks, for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will (1Thes. 5:18)."