Imagine this:
You're walking down the street wearing a knit hat, holding a cup of hot coffee, wearing your favorite pair of boots, listening to Fleet Foxes, your nose a little red from the slight crisp breeze, you look up and see half naked trees. You see beautiful red, yellow, green and orange leaves falling from the sky floating down to the ground landing on bricks, the side walk, the street. Life is bliss. You look around hoping to make eye contact with someone else enjoying the same moment. But then you realize that everyone else is stuck. They are fixated on getting to class, the conversations they are in and the puddle they stepped in this morning. The busyness of life makes them not able to appreciate the blissful moment around them.
Recently, God has been making me so thankful for the small things. He has just been showing me the everyday beauties of Him. "...Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary." psalm 96:6. In my life I can so easily become overwhelmed with all the responsibilities I have. These things aren't necessarily bad things, they are like work, class, homework, friendships and sleep. However, I was letting these things run my life. I was letting my schedule be completely built around these responsibilities, I was so engrossed in them I wasn't able to even see the beauty of fall.
As I was praying about how to get out of this rut, how God could change my heart, He just very simply whispered to me, "be thankful". Oh goodness. How that changes things. I would have never guessed! It completely changed my thought process. Before I complained about having to be at work at 5:30 am. But God made me thankful for the fact that I first off have a job, that I am able to spend my morning time with Him. Even though I am working, its so peaceful. The chaos hasn't had a chance to ruin His beauty. He even blessed me with wonderful opportunities to speak about His love with some members (i work at an athletic club) who otherwise wouldn't have known I loved Jesus or why I am so joyful.
"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." psalm 95:2
That is just one of the things I am thankful for today. I want to live a life of thankfulness. I want to look at everything God gives me as a gift. Not something that He owes me. God doesn't owe me anything.
Today I am thankful for:
Pajamas.
Alone time.
Charis.
My parents who love Jesus.
Friends who encourage me towards Him.
Money.
Freedom.
Worship.
Joy.
