Being Thankful

Yes, I have trouble being thankful for what I have sometimes.  I could blame it on being an American and living in a place that is all about the next big thing or having a lot of stuff or money or a big house...but honestly, I think I can just say I am this way because I am human.  As humans, we can never satisfy our desires and our wants on our own.  We are constantly looking at what we have and comparing it to what others have instead of being thankful for all that God has provided for us.

 

Now, please do not be totally and completely disgusted by this story I am about to tell you about how I learned to be thankful this past week.  I know this is pretty much gross, but it taught me something.  So the hubby and I were out this weekend at a department like store (the name of which I will not say)...and well I had to use the restroom.  I go to the women's restroom...not really the cleanest place ever, but I deal with it.  Then when I go to wash my hands and I look in the trashcan next to the sink, there was poop in it.  And not like a diaper of poop...like someone had not made it to the toilet and had gone in the trash.  Well that completely grossed me out and I run out of the restroom and tell the hubby about it.  You know what he says to me...."you should be thankful you have a toilet to go in because not everyone does."  And you know what -- he is completely right.  That was my lesson of the day - to be thankful for a toilet.  And be thankful for every little thing I have that I take for granted every day whether it is a bathroom or a kitchen or a roof or a person or whatever - just be thankful.

 

Hopefully this is a little bit of encouragement to you - and if it wasn't, hopefully I didn't gross you out too much.  But here is some encouragement from the greatest encouragement of all:

 

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:15-17