Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
~ Psalm 100 ~

I find that it is easy to forget to be thankful most days of the year. It is more than easy to get caught up in the mundane part of life: go to work, do homework, clean the house, say “hello”s and “goodbye”s, reply with the “I’m doing well”s and the complaining of every little thing in life. I also know that it is easy to get pulled into the death spiral of bad things that happen in life. I cannot deny it, there are some awful things that are happening in the world right now. The reality of sin and death is all too apparent. Some days, I find myself unwilling to be thankful. I think that my problems are too big for God, or His blessings do not overwhelm the troubles. All too often, I find myself dwelling on mistakes, and regrets, and anger towards the world. I might be able to justify it. I might be able to say that it is good to remember, it is good to learn, it is good to be against the wrongdoing. However, I know that this, this constant disparity, is not the life God has called me to live.

Every now and then, I remind myself to stop, take a step back, and reflect. The Bible reminds us to, “Be still, and know that I am God.” What does that mean? It is a reminder that above all else, God still reigns on the throne. That above the chaos in this world, God’s order still holds true. That despite all the hate, anger, and fear that runs through people, it does not denote God’s love or their need of it. It reminds me that in spite of the bad things, God’s blessings outweigh them all. His love has, is, and will last forever. It never runs out; it always endures. Despite the sinful creatures that we are, God still blesses each day. Does that mean things are always good? No. Does that mean my life is pointless, a waste, and nothing good ever happens? Absolutely not. God is still in control; His faithfulness and forgiveness is unending; He never ceases blessing me with earthly blessings; His Salvation is never not enough.

But first, we have to pause the business of our days and reflect on these blessings.

We have to remember to say thank you.

We are His people. He loves us forever and forever and no matter what. How incredible is that? It is easy to remember to be thankful on a day titled “Thanksgiving”. Indeed, is easy to show love on Valentine’s Day or Sweetest Day; to follow through with New Year’s resolutions the week of; to celebrate our country’s beginnings on Independence Day. It is hard to remember when the days seem to show little reason to be thankful. But my prayer is that each of us takes a little time each day forward  to say, “Thank You for giving me another day. Thank You for giving me a beautiful life. Thank You for more blessings than I could possibly deserve. Thank You for sending Your Son for me.”

~Rose