Giving thanks in all things

Waiting is so hard! I have no idea whether I'm going to get good news or bad news. I know sometime around the first of this week, I'll receive a call with information about the results of my recent ultrasound. My breast surgeon thought it would be a good idea to check out a suspicious area. I'm glad she is keeping me under close scrutiny but I wasn't expecting her to find anything concerning at my last appointment. But she did. And now I'm waiting to hear the results. It would be so easy to give thanks if I get good news but would it be just as easy to give thanks if I don't? Listen to what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Wow! That's powerful! Learning to give thanks in all things isn't only what I'm supposed to do, it's what I'm commanded to do. As I thought about this verse today, I realized I haven't done a very good job at giving thanks in all things. I've done some mumbling and grumbling recently about things I didn't quite like. I've questioned God about some things He's allowed in my life and griped how they were out of my control. It's tough to thank God for the hard things, but I want to do better. I want to try harder to grasp this verse and apply it to all aspects of my life.

I want to live a life that is supernatural. I want it to be a life that is hard to explain to those who don't understand what it is to live under grace. I want God to do a deep work in me where I can learn to give thanks in everything, no matter what...whether it's good or bad. I want my family to see me changed...that my roots have grown down deep into Jesus. I want them to see me turning my heart back to praise and adoration of my Father instead of focusing inwardly on myself and my situation. I want to become so intentional about gratitude that I look hard for it every. single. day.

So today starts the first day of my new lease on life...my journey with God in learning to give thanks in ALL things. I'm asking God to shift my focus and help me see that even in the hard things, He's always good.