An Attitude of Gratitude

Many years ago I listened to a tape from a Christian teacher named Russell Kelfer that encouraged me to have 'an attitude of gratitude' in all of life's situations, to look for the blessing behind the immediate crisis or disappointment. In the years since, I have found that this advice has kept me from self pity and despair, no matter what crisis or traumatic event life has brought. And I don't mean that I had to dig hard for them, I really mean that there were always several things to be thankful for. Maybe some times took me longer than others because I was too focused on the crisis at first, but once I started looking it never took very long to find how God had kept His Hand on us.

Around the Thanksgiving table this year, Russ asked us to each say something that we were thankful for. Family, home, job, God's love were all named, and for those things we are truly grateful to God. Our table was one short this year. Dad missed his favorite meal - our first Thanksgiving without him. I had to tell how thankful I was that I had been with Dad for the last week he was alive, without a clue it was his last. I had to tell Jess how thankful I was that her wedding had been that week, which is what had brought me home. At first I had been disappointed because the rest of my family couldn't make it during the time they had chosen for the wedding. But, oh how thankful I am now that God knew when I needed to be there and He knew that Dad would be handsome and smiling and happy for Jess' special day! We all treasure those last wonderful pictures of Dad and the fact that he was there to celebrate with Mom Jess and Tyler's wedding. Yes indeed, God is good.

We played Pictionary Telephone and Blackboard Pictionary and had a blast, laughing the whole time. What a great day!

Did I miss the rest of the family that weren't there? Oh, yes. Was I sad that Dad wasn't there with Mom? I sure was. Do we have struggles and worries? Absolutely.

But digging deeper floods me with an attitude of gratitude.