Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Be Thankful

I want to live a life of thankfulness.  Not lip-service thankfulness.  Genuine thankfulness.

But my thankfulness is pretty shallow.  I've fallen victim to being thankful for things because I compare myself with those that don't have things I have.  As its been snowing/sleeting/snotting ice the past few days, I've been thankful for a warm house and a roof over my head.  Probably because I talked on the phone to a homeless person a few days ago that didn't have those things.

Dallas will do that to you.  There are some truly wealthy people here - but there are a lot more people pretending to be wealthy.  Dallas causes you to always be looking for the next thing.  What's the next rung on the ladder?  Newer car, bigger house, latest clothes...  Without really knowing it, you start to adopt this daily comparison lifestyle - constantly comparing yourself to others.  It lives right beneath the surface, but shapes my decisions and feeds my desires.  And it's even snuck into the way I perceive my position with God.  

“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” 
― H.A. Ironside

So here's to true thankfulness!  Thankful to God for all the things I cannot earn.  The intangible things that are more costly than any earthly possession.  Grace.  Salvation.  Peace.  Health.  2nd Chances.  Unmerited Favor.  Reconciled Relationships...

The list could go on and on...let these things always be on the tip of my tongue.