January first is always a day to celebrate. It is a fresh start. Who doesn't love a fresh start. Many will begin new healthy eating pursuits and exercise programs. It feels good to start fresh.
Am I done learning? Not even close. The world seems to be growing in impatience. It is so easy to get sucked into the doom, gloom and the woes. It is easy to feel helpless, but as long as we have hands to serve and feet (or a computer) to carry the good news, we can find His peace. Even in the most troubled times.
For me, these days of a gratitude began when I missed a November 2012 challenge on Facebook to keep a 30 day gratitude journal. I decided I would help fight the winter blues exercising daily gratitude. I had no clue it would last more than a month... let alone seven years. 7 years translates into 2,556 Days of Gratitude.
Not every day is a great day. In fact, in real life... some days are hard. Some of the difficult days are expected, so we can half way prepare our heads and our hearts.Other hard days blindside us. Unexpected and raw.
It is on the hardest days, I have found gratitude to be more than an act. Offering thanksgiving sweeps me to the throne of God's grace and mercy. It is intimate. This world can be hard, but He never abandons his children. Intentional gratitude clears our vision and helps us gain perspective. The big lesson of Year One was that "Gratitude doesn't change God... it changes me." I cling to that truth 2,556 days later.
Daily gratitude is a time commitment. I could do it privately on my own... but a public forum is accountability and I am truly humbled by how many stop by each day to share a minute of their day to share in daily gratitude. I appreciate your affirmation a post came out right... and savor your words of encouragement. Here is each year in a nutshell:
Lessons in Gratitude- Year 1: "Gratitude doesn't change God, it changes us!"
Lessons in Gratitude- Year 2: "Strength grows in a grateful heart."
Lessons in Gratitude- Year 3: "Courage grows in a grateful heart."
Lessons in Gratitude - Year 4: "Vision clears in a grateful heart."
Lessons in Gratitude - Year 5: "In gratitude, He is enough."
Lessons in Gratitude - Year 6: "In gratitude, we savor His goodness."
Now for Year 7...
Lessons in Gratitude - Year 7: "In gratitude, we can "burn the ships"!
What does that mean? My word for the year was "burning". I knew it was an odd choice, but I knew it was the right one. Then...For King and Country have a song they released in 2019 called "Burn The Ships". I have shared it and you can find it on YouTube.
"Burn The Ships" references a historic explorer who landed in "the New World". He instructed his men to "burn the ships" so they would not be tempted to abandon their mission. Some days, going home looked better than facing the challenges of a new land. Burning the ships removed their safety net.
Offering up daily gratitude is not a magical answer for what ails you, but it helps. Staying focused on the present goodness in our days strengthens our hearts. We can do hard things, and while we are doing them... we need to let go of yesterday's woes. Today is enough to conquer. We need to carefully decide where we will place our trust. Whom will we choose to serve as we embark on a new year full of new adventures?
"Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."-Hebrews 13:5
Let peace rule in our hearts because we are never alone... even when the night seems very cold and dark. Sometimes, we need to realign our priorities in service to our King. He longs for our hearts to desire time with him.
"But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”-Joshua 24:15
As we walk through our limited days on this planet, I am reminded of the brevity of this life. We are eternal souls in fragile human bodies that will wear out if we live long enough. Living with a "burn the ships" attitude helps us to live, love and laugh out loud.
Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. -Psalm 90:12
I may never have a burning bush speak my name, but it doesn't mean that God isn't near. He is here. He waits for us. He isn't too tired or too busy. Do I let other things take his place in my days?
I am always humbled by the words from one of James Eliott's journals:
“He makes His ministers a flame of fire. Am I ignitable? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of ‘other things’.” -Jim Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor
2020 is here. We can step into the light of His love and purpose... and burn the ships.
Today, I am grateful for lessons learned in year seven of daily gratitude.
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