October 29, 2021

I have the bad habit of leaving my tv on in the background and not watching it, so I catch little bits of programs, some I wish I hadn’t. I won’t name any shows but talk shows with women who think their opinion is the only one who matters, & they are a very mislead group. ANYWAY… I walked in the room today to hear about 10 different apps for women. So called, “Empowering Women” apps. Now, the whole empowering woman thing is a WHOLE different rant, but one of the apps was a gratitude journal. It had a very new age icon. I heard a couple of women who had been fighting depression say that by journaling it saved them. The developer of the app said that she was in a deep depression and she googled how to get out. Insert smiley face here. TOP 2 were meditation & a gratitude journal. So she started by saying 1) the sun is shining, 2) Her dad, who recently died, loved the sun. 3) her last time with him was wonderful & their last words were “I love you” and so on. I do think journaling is great. My devotions are sort of a journal (I certainly write about MY life enough).
So, this all got me to thinking about gratitude. Soon, it will be Thanksgiving. All the cute fall decorations at Hobby Lobby say “Grateful, Blessed, Thankful”. But here is my question to those ladies on tv. “WHO are you grateful to?” I asked someone this one time, who I KNEW was not a Christian, their reply, “Oh, just the universe, and my boyfriend, I don’t think you have to be thankful to any PERSON.” Ahhh so there it is. Thank you mother nature for blue skys & rainbows…. Just HOW do you explain it all?
I am grateful that I have a loving God, a God who only gives good things, but allows bad things for our growth, for our good, & for our faith. I am MOST grateful that this God sent His only son to die a horrible death so that I can live forever in heaven with Him, and so can you and even this young girl who is grateful to her boyfriend…. IF she chooses to turn her life over to Him.
I do think now, with all the negative things in our lives these days, a gratitude journal is awesome. If for no other reason than to have it to look back on during low days. (we are such forgetful creatures). But if you are not inclined to start a journal, just start your day thanking Him for His beautiful creation, His Son, our families, and truly everything that He does for us, every minute of every day. I am grateful to a Big, Big God, who has each one of us in His hands.

When the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, thankfulness overflows. Even in the darkest of times, we can praise God for his love, his sovereignty, and his promise to be near us when we call (Psalm 145:18).