Thankful?

2020, what year so far, am I right? Arriving at Thanksgiving and in its passing, I am sure many people asked themselves, what is there to be thankful for? Many people are calling 2020 the "worst year ever," or "hellacious," "apocalyptic, and "egregious." Reviewing these adjectives, I wouldn't guess that many people were thrilled for Thanksgiving this year, how could you be thankful in a time like this, right? Wrong. I was excited for Thanksgiving and I am so THANKFUL for my thanksgiving, who I got to spend it with, and I am thankful for THIS, yes, THIS YEAR, 2020.

I believe that our world is very good at magnifying the bad and belittling the good. We like to play the "woe is me" card. While there are bad things that happen that are worth mourning for, grieving in, and sitting through, we can't miss the good. I want you, right now to pause, right here, and think of a AT LEAST 3 things you are thankful/grateful for right now. Seriously. Do it. Now, I hope you actually to a moment to do that, and if you're up for it, make a long, extensive list, and write down your thanks, keep writing, even when it feels like you ran out of things to be thankful for, you'll think of more! I know that everyone can think of at least 3 things to be thankful for. You're breathing. You have a God surrounding you. And there is a plan for your life, that is made perfect for you. I know, life can really suck sometimes, it can be difficult, and it can be hard to fight through the storms. But when it rains do we stop living? Do we stop doing life? No, but after it rains for a few days, we do long for the sun again. But when the sun comes again, we miss the rain. It isn't bad to long for the good. But it's seeing the good in the midst of the bad that we need to become developed in. If we long for the good so badly, why not look for it in the midst of EVERY moment? It's not to disregard the bad, but to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As Ecclesiastes 3 says, there's a time to mourn and a time to dance a time for war and a time for peace. Life is filled with bad and good, mourning and dancing, weeping and laughing. But if we never allowed the good, we'd have a life full of bad, mourning, and weeping. Job is one of my favorite books of the Bible, it's fascinating, the character of Job is fascinating. We can learn a lesson from him, especially now, and I think God wants us to learn it. Job lost everything, literally everything, except his own life. And yet he still PRAISED GOD!

And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Job 1:21-22

Ever thought of thanking God for what you don't have? I know, sounds crazy, but that's me. I like to do crazy things with God, it's pretty cool. So, I thanked him for things I don't have that I want, I thanked Him for not giving me what I want, because believe it or not, Him not giving us things are blessings too. So many people are unthankful because they look at what they don't have, instead of looking at all they do have. Job had literally nothing, yet still praised Him. Sometimes the only thing we have is God, but that should be enough. That should still allow us to count a million and more blessings. Think about it. If all we have is God, well first of all, we have His Word, the earth, stars, moon, sun, planets, outer space, wind, animals, food, grass, sky, leaves, plants, trees, clouds, rain, AIR, BREATH IN OUR LUNGS, and would you look at that, I'm already at almost twenty things! Even the smallest details of your life, might be something that someone else looks at as a HUGE gift/blessing. So maybe you weren't very thankful this year or thanksgiving, that doesn't mean you can't change that now. THANKFULNESS SHOULD BE AN EVERYDAY THING! I encourage you, at the end of everyday, whether it was a great day, or the worst day ever, thank God, even if it's one specific thing or person or if it's just thanking Him for Him.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Have a great week and rest of the year! Find the things to be thankful for. They aren't difficult to see/find, they are there.