Somehow, most of the expressions of gratitude in our world seem more at home at a tea party than in the tumble and turmoil of life. You see, gratitude is a lot more than Hallmark cards, jonquils and pretty notebooks. Gratitude is a lifestyle. –adapted from Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
This is my 23rd week of engaging the discipline of gratitude on my blog with Thankful Thursdays, and while there have been many weeks where my heart has been infused with perspective after thinking through all the gifts that have been present in my days, truthfully, there have been other times when it has felt more like a rote, lifeless exercise.
But is this not the nature of disciplining ourselves? Sometimes we richly experience the fruit of our efforts, while others times we must simply bear down and do what we believe is best even if it feels hollow.
Yet, I want gratitude to permeate my very existence, where it goes well beyond a list of blessings, but in the passionate pursuit, transforms my sorrows and pains with grace. My heart must undergo much renovation to experience such, but I continue to pray that this simple act of Thankful Thursdays can be a tool to help gratitude pervade my life.
So as I reflect today, I am overwhelmingly thankful for God’s patient, tranforming grace!
Oh how true this is. There has been some weeks (as I am sure you read) that I felt more angry than thankful. BUT making myself dig deeper than I wanted has brought me closer to God in those moments. This thankful Thursday has allowed me to dig at my heart and cry out to God and to look at how life is instead of what I would "like" it to be. it has given me deeper relationship with my family and also with friends. So thanks for the challenge to do it. Gratitude is something learned in my life for sure!
That insight is very relevant to my own life, Christina… doing what we know is right, even we don’t "feel" like it.
Thank you for the reminder.