Gratitude. The state of being grateful. This often comes with a choice, a decision to say thank you when you don’t understand.
When life has dealt another blow. When you are driving the victory lap, and your tire goes flat.
Why should we be grateful even during the pain of the day?
Because gratitude fights against despair, discouragement, and dismay. And these are the enemies of hope.
When you are grateful, you have hope. It might be that hanging-on-to-the-end-of-the-rope hope, but it is still there.
Why?
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 NIV
God will meet you when you have hope. When you are grateful. Yes, God does meet us when we are in despair, too, thank God, but there is something rich and alive about God lifting us up when our faces are turned expectantly to Him.
I want to be filled with gratitude. To be grateful and hope. I fight battles daily, it seems, with circumstances and events that try to turn me to complaining, mumbling, and murmuring instead of looking to what I can be thankful for.
Some days I win.
Some days I don’t do too well.
I lie down at night and talk to God and tell him how I want to be thankful and grateful and hopeful. But some days I’m just plain overwhelmed.
He understands. And as I have learned this, I can let go of the shame and guilt that says I should do better. Be better. Quit whining.
And turn to Father God with gratitude and thankfulness for calling me His child. For loving me through the Cross. For accepting me and gracing me with His love and mercy.
Then hope returns, and I step into another day. Ready and willing for God to point me to His will.
I’m hope-filled once again.
Do you find that gratitude and hope go together? How does that help you on difficult days?
Hope has always been hard for me.
I understand. I think next week’s post will really speak to you then 🙂