Being Thankful

by | Jul 8, 2016 | Faith Blog

I remember the summer of 1997, I was home in Jamaica, so I remember it well.  Oprah had a program on being thankful, and taking note of the things we were grateful for.  I was going through a time of uncertainties – I was a teenager then, but yes, there were things that were beyond my control and I was counting on God to make them come true.  The song that was popular then was Kirk Franklin’s “My life is in your hands”, and it was so perfectly fitting because I knew at that moment my life was in His hands.

Fast forward almost 20 years, and the reminder is still true – we need to count our blessings, and my life is still in His hands. It is only when I stop to acknowledge where I am and how far I’ve come, that I can truly appreciate the changes that have happened in my life. While I don’t remember some of the things that I was thankful for in 1997, I know what I am thankful for today.  I have some amazing friends who are encouraging me along this journey of life. I have this amazing daughter who God has blessed me with, and my parents who are still active in my life. My life is far from perfect, but I am taking each moment as they come and being thankful for everything, including the struggles that I’ve endured in this life. Without the struggles, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I think of the process of refining gold. It has to go through almost unbearable heat to be melded and molded into beautiful pieces of jewelry. Do you feel like you are in the heat? Think about the beautiful master piece that God is working on in you.  Trust Him that he has your best interest, even though you may be tempted to jump out of the furnace. God is working in you, don’t give up.

Lord, help me to be thankful, and to count my blessings one by one, and to name them.  Thank you for continuing to have my life in your hands, and for allowing me to reflect to see how far I’ve come. I know that I have a far way to go, but I know that You are already there ahead of me. Help me to be patient with myself and forgive myself when I fail to live up to your and even my own standards.