I woke up this morning with the idea in my head to simply praise God.... don't ask Him for anything... just praise Him for everything! Everything that He put on my heart and in my mind I would stop and praise Him for. And I have to say, it's only been a few hours but my whole attitude has changed and I LOVE it!!
I have thanked Him for His Son, for His love, for His Spirit guiding me, for His mercy and grace, for His unfailing forgiveness, for Him being Him. I have thanked Him for each of my family members by name, reflecting on what they mean to me. I have thanked Him for my friends and their families. I have thanked Him for my church, my job, my coworkers, my city, my prayer partners, my instructors, my mentors, my journey, and so much more! And as I start to try and list things to thank Him for I find it's a never ending list.
But a surprising turn that happened just a little while ago was when I found myself thanking Him for the bad times, for the struggles. I thanked Him for letting me walk through the darkness so I could understand just how glorious His light really was. I thanked Him for surviving child abuse because I know it led me to have a passion to protect and love children. I thanked Him for the times of depression and weakness because I know it led me to a deeper dependence on Him. I thanked Him for the money struggles as I worked so many part-time jobs to make ends meet because I know it helped me to realize just how much He provides for me every day. And I thanked Him for the family struggles and those in my life that I have lost because I know it has made me value and appreciate my family and friends so much more.
And as I started to thank Him for the struggles in my past, I found myself also thanking Him for the struggles and worries I have now. I actually thanked Him for my worries! Really?!! LOL! But I couldn't help but feel like He was using these concerns for my good and was already at work to turn them from worries into lessons for me. So I had to thank Him! I wish I had thought to only praise Him years ago! I know I would have seen my life and my circumstances so much lighter in comparison of all that He has given me!
So if you have time, even just a little time, stop and thank Him for all that He's done for you, all that He's given you, and all that He's already at work to bless you with in the future. Don't ask Him for anything, catch yourself if you do, but simply say Thank You, Lord. Thank Him for who He is and what He's done. And let me know if it changes how you see your world too.
I thanked God for you today as well, readers, whoever you may be! God is ALWAYS at work around you! Take a moment and thank Him for it.