November 23, 2012- Gratitude…

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude.” 1 Timothy 4:4

“Let the message of Christ dwell in your richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16

     Each day that we awake to the sun shining, the tides roaring, and to an island or home town full of family and friends to share it with is a day to rejoice and be glad, to be thankful we are alive and well.  The verses above are some of the many that popped up for me today when I decided to Google “Biblical verses about gratitude.”  The first one is a favorite for me simply because it is a verse I grew up singing in church with much enjoyment. When I sing or hum it, even in my head, it puts a spring in my step and reminds me of good times singing in the Youth Choir and hanging out with my friends at church camps and on mission trips. 

     The second verse is particularly poignant because it speaks to all of God’s creation, including you and me.  EVERYTHING God created is good! NOTHING is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude.  Being thankful for who God has created you to be, flaws and all, and practicing gratitude in our daily lives with others and all that we have been given has great healing power! What we think about and how we react and view the various circumstances of our lives as they come along can make all the difference between allowing life to swallow you whole and keep you pinned inside the whale like Jonah, complaining and grumbling, until life decides to spit you out again and give you a breather, OR allowing life’s challenges and troubles to spring you forth into new adventures and give you the ability to enjoy the ride along the way, no matter what it brings. If we start each day with gladness, with gratitude, with positive and uplifting thoughts and the attitude of every day being a new day that will be as wonderful as we make it, we are better equipped to deal with what might usually cause us stress and lead us down a path of emotional turmoil, negativity, and the feeling that today is just a “terrible, awful, no good, very bad day,“ and there’s nothing that we can do to stop it.  No, we can’t control what happens to us just by thinking positively, but we can control what has been on our mind all day and how that will cause us to react when something negative does come our way. If you have been in a fearful, worrisome mode all morning, then when that big project you were working on accidently gets lost as your computer crashes, you are more likely to allow that anger, fear, and worry that was already stewing in your mind all morning to take over and make things worse. If you are in a good place in your heart and mind all morning, then the crash and loss of your work will be more of a minor frustration rather than a major catastrophe.  You will be able to look for the positives and move forward more quickly. 

     The third verse really builds upon the second, taking this “mind over matter” concept even deeper. If you start out each day not only with gratitude and a positive attitude, but also with prayer and the word of God, maybe even with some worship songs or whatever helps you feel closer to God, giving thanks for all He has done in your life, those verses or songs which help you cope and stay calm will immediately pop into your head when you need them most because you have been dwelling on them so much.  This is a practice I struggle to maintain each day, but I have found my days are more peaceful if I follow what I have learned through these verses and the many wonderful ministers of God who have taught me through their books, sermons, Bible studies, etc…so, being that Thanksgiving Day is almost over for us island folk, I’d like to end this blog entry with gratitude, listing the top ten things I am thankful for at this very moment in time, not necessarily in order of what’s most important:

1. My family and friends.

2. God’s word and saving Grace.

3. The wonderfully, decadent meal I enjoyed today at the chow hall on Roi-Namur. and all those who planned for it and prepared it.

4. The free range chickens on the island who make funny noises when we feed them potato chips and flaming hot Cheetos and who make me giggle as they run-fly to meet us when we arrive in our golf cart during our “post meal island tour.”

5. The warm sunshine on my skin and the roar of the ocean when I practice yoga by the sea.

6. Wireless Internet in my hotel room as I type this which allows me to upload precious photos to share with friends and connect quickly and effectively with the family I cannot be with today.

7. Being an American and the freedoms that come along with that.

8. The children I have the pleasure to work with every day as well as my own who fill my life with laughter and appreciation for the simple things, and make my life so much richer overall.

9. The roof over my head, the clothes on my back, and all the necessities of life which so many others are not afforded daily or at all.

10.  All the teachers in my department who shower their love and affection on the children they work with, who amaze me with their patience and ability to adapt to whatever situation they are presented with, and their enormous dedication to their jobs, even when it means they must rise up very early in the morning and travel to another island just to get to work, and then be away from their family until late in the evening when the boat they travel on daily finally arrives back home. 

     I am spoiled and blessed to live this life, and I have done nothing to deserve it. It is all because of God’s great grace. Thank you God for everything. I wish for you all God’s wonderful peace, love, and joy, all the days of your life.  Happy Thanksgiving 2012!!