An Attitude of Gratitude

“Serve one another humbly in love.” 

Galatians 5:13b 

After a whole week at home taking care of our sons, me and the insurmountable details of housekeeping, my husband had to go back to work today. He toiled really hard every day last week and served his family well, humbly and in love. I, on the other hand, was not always as appreciative and easy going as I should’ve been. In my self-centeredness, I sat in my comfy chair and let the days go by without fully expressing my great appreciation.

It is never too late, however, to take the necessary steps to say thank you. So here it is, thank you, Dan! I really appreciate all you did this past week. And as we approach our wedding anniversary, I want to say thank you for these past 18 years of marriage too! Thank you for all of it! Thank you for the ups and downs. Thank you for the abundance of laughter. Thank you for the wiped away tears. Thank you for your support and cheer. Thank you for the lessons learned. Thank you for always standing on truth. Thank you for loving the Lord and for being the spiritual leader in our home. Now that I think about it, I can't list all the things I’m thankful for in this post. Perhaps, I should instead resolve to live every day from now on intentionally keeping an overall attitude of gratitude that spills all around me, pouring down into the vessels of those who walk alongside me on the path of life.

We are commanded to maintain this attitude of gratitude first and foremost to the Lord our God. We are to…

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

Therefore, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving ...” Psalm 69:30.

Likewise this attitude of humble gratitude toward our Great God needs to be extended, like His grace, unto those He places on our road. Our spouses, whom we tend to take for granted more often than we should; crave honest words of appreciation. So do our children, friends and family in general. For me, however, it is very easy to forget to say thank you to those who walk with me every day. Here’s where living intentionally comes into place. Rather than letting the days just simply slip by doing what we always do, going to bed to wake up and do it all over again the next day; perhaps we need to wake up to a new thought. Perhaps we need to wake up to a new attitude. A new attitude that begins with humbly accepting that God, in His infinite provision and mercy, gives us exactly what we need and for that we must be thankful. Even if what we need might not be exactly what we want.

I didn’t want to be in a situation of restricted activity that causes me to depend on those around me; but this is probably what I needed at this moment in order for me to humble myself and realize the great works of those who love me. Only by pausing long enough I am able to see what my husband does for me, not just now that I am limited in my activities, but every day. Therefore, I thank the Lord for him; and I thank God because, even in my less than ideal condition, He opens my eyes so I can see, and He changes my attitude and teaches me to be grateful.

... saying: “ We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned ... Rev 11:17.

I'm linking with The Alabaster Jar, The Better Mom