Gratefulness

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There is so much to glean from these three little verses, but what hits me the most today, is to give thanks in all circumstances. I couldn't help but think about this after meeting with a dear friend for breakfast yesterday morning. As we talked and shared together, I was reminded of how much this world is missing the importance of gratitude and being thankful.

I recently experienced the death of a family member. I know of a dear friend who is dying of cancer. Another friend has a scary doctor report. The list could go on and on of the struggles we face each day. We often are surprised by life, but God never is. He knows what's going to happen before we do.

I was thinking how we need to focus more on being grateful - expressing it to God and to others. I wondered if perhaps you could look at each thing separately - joy, prayer and thankfulness. But the more I consider the possibility, I can't help but wonder and believe these three are intertwined, or need to be in our life. When we continue to pray and express our thankfulness, no matter what we are facing, we also experience joy. Coincidence? Definitely not!

So for today, why don't you experiment with prayer, thanksgiving and joy. Perhaps the more you work these into your life, the more joy you will experience. When was the last time you had joy? When did you pray? When was the last time you experienced gratitude and told someone? What can you do to improve?