In the weeks leading up to the
start of November I notice several blogs, tweets and FB status talking about 30
days of thanksgiving. Now in South
Africa we don’t celebrate thanksgiving so at first it was not a blog series
that really stood out for me…well that was until I started reading some of last
year’s posts and realised that it had nothing to do with being an American and celebrating
a uniquely American holiday and rather about looking at your life and finding
all the blessings.
It got me thinking about all the
times I have spoken about living with an attitude of gratitude and how often I
forget to see the small things because I am so focused on the big. Thinking that way and then watching a
lifestyle show on TV which found me spending an entire hour thinking things
like…
I wish I had a home like hers
Oh WOW I wish I made money like
him
I wish I had that house
I wish I could be a jet setter
I wish I had her figure
I wish I could afford Jimmy Choo’s
Add pintrest to the mix and the “wanties”
continued. A recipe for an ungrateful and dissatisfied heart if ever there was one. In this technology rich era it is very easy to get caught up in the
lives of others. It gets to the point
where it is all about what we have and not about who we are. We start accumulating more and more “stuff”
and we exhibit our possessions as if they are cast in gold. I know I am guilty of this and I am pretty
sure I am not alone in this. I am not saying that we should not like or have
pretty “stuff” or that we should not work for things but when the accumulating
becomes the goal we have seriously missed the boat.
In Matthew 6:21 the bible says “For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be.” That makes me think that God
cares about where my heart is and if my heart is with earthy pursuits and “stuff”
then it is not with Him. I often tell
people that who I am in not the number on the scale but neither am I the car I
drive, the house I live in, the clothes I wear etc. But that is where the
challenge comes in because I really need to examine my heart, my motives and
the things I spend my energy and time on because are they my treasure.
God blesses me richly every day in
so many ways that I just take for granted.
So I am CHOOSing to jump on the bandwagon (a little late but jumping none the
less) and am going to do the 30 days of thanksgiving challenge.
"In everything give thanks, for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Since I need to catch up I am
going to tackle day one through six here and now…
Day one: I am thankful for my
family. They inspire me and motivate me
to be a better daughter and sister, cousin and niece.
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| Darra, Moeksie, my brother Donovan and I |
Day two: I am thankful for my fur
babies. Jessie and Charis are so much part of my life that they are this wom-“man’s
best friend”. I am sure that every fur mamma thinks her babies are the most
special but my two really and truly are. There is nothing quite like the look on
Jessie’s face when I get home and not to mention Charis tail working overtime
in greeting. They have the most amazing ability to make me feel like the most
special person on earth and they forgive me for leaving them for hours and
hours on their own.
Day four: I am thankful for my
friends. I am very blessed to have the most amazing people in my life. They share so much of themselves with me and
allow me to share myself (my true self) with them. It is a blessing to find yourself surrounded by
the love and understanding that comes from friendship.
Day five: I am thankful for my job
because it allows me to work with people, support my family and live a
productive life in which I can make a difference in the lives of others.
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| Our reception area... |
Day six: Today, I am especially thankful for
the difficult people in my life. They show me exactly who I don’t want to be.
What
do you CHOOSE to be thankful for.
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