What does Thanksgiving look like for you this year? Is it merely another day of caregiving? Are you wishing you could skip this holiday altogether because of grief? Do you anticipate unpleasantness because of ongoing family squabbles? Will you celebrate the holiday alone?
To be honest, I’m struggling a little with the idea of giving thanks this Thanksgiving. I miss Jim. Holidays will never be the same without him. And yet, I am blessed, and grateful for the prayers, love, and emotional support of family and friends.
Following are thoughts on giving thanks in everything:
A Broader View of “Everything”
“Everything” doesn’t mean only what is pleasant, good, happy, fun. “Everything” means, well, everything, all that life brings, including the difficult, challenging, hard, sad, and unpleasant. Giving thanks in everything involves broadening your perspective on life and understanding there is always something you can view with gratitude. It may take time to adjust to this mindset, but cultivating a wide view of everything will revolutionize your thinking.
Difficult Circumstances Don’t Negate Giving Thanks
Gratitude is easier when all is right with your world. But gratitude is not an “only when” sort of endeavor. Nowhere is it written, “be grateful when all is well.” Rather the greatest, deepest, most heart-felt gratitude comes from pain and through sadness. When you can see blessings, and give thanks for them despite circumstances, then you have reached a new level of giving thanks.
Understanding Gratitude
For some reason, we gravitate toward focusing on what is negative and hard in our lives. Instead, focus on blessings rather than ruminating on difficulty. Gratitude is an attitude of the heart. Change your “heart-itude” by making a list of blessings. At first, you may have to look hard because you are attune to the negative, but gradually, your heart will soften and your perspective will gravitate toward the positive.
Remember the Source of Blessings
God is the giver of all good gifts, and also, the Sustainer, Comforter, and Peace-Giver. Even in times of hardship and heartache, God is our source of blessings and worthy of our praise and gratitude.
If you are struggling with gratitude this year, remember all the ways God has blessed in the past, the provision, comfort, strength, courage, and will to maintain forward motion. With these as your focus, give thanks from a grateful heart.
“Celebrate always, pray constantly, and give thanks to God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. (This is God’s will for all of you in Jesus the Anointed.)” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 VOICE)
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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