The past month has been trying for us all as we prepared for a history-making storm. Families made decisions to leave town or stay and ride it out at home. For those who stayed, there was the preparation phase, the “hunkering down” through the night as the storm made its way onshore, and the longest phase of all, the subsequent cleanup and power restoration process after Milton crossed the state.
There was so much emotion that encapsulated that entire experience in my own home, and I am sure that is true for yours as well. There was a sense of fear and anxiety as that monstrous, category-five storm barreled toward Florida. There was impatience and frustration as we all navigated long lines to gas up our vehicles and buy food and water before the storm hit. There was unease and a great deal of unknown when we went to bed Wednesday night. What would our home, neighborhood, and community look like when we stepped out of our doors on Thursday morning? There was sadness as we witnessed trees down, fences torn apart, damaged and flooded homes near us, and the realization that some people would not be going back into their homes due to the amount of destruction. I think we all felt a bit of anger and frustration at the lack of power or water in our homes. Those feelings only grew more intense the longer it dragged out. (Six days for us at the Shephard house.) There was even a hint of jealousy (be honest) as your friends began commenting that their power came back on while you still sat in a hot, dark room, and your little one still didn’t understand why the lights would not turn on or why YouTube Kids was not playing Super Simple Songs.
With all of these feelings somewhat jumbled into this shared experience, I can say that gratitude can get overlooked if we aren’t intentional in searching for ways we can express it. I know that early Thursday morning, like many of you, I felt grateful that my family was safe after a really scary night. We walked outside to find many shingles torn off our roof. We found our magnolia tree down in the yard, which fell the opposite way of our house, and within hours it was chopped and at the road ready to be picked up because several wonderful neighbors jumped in to help my husband. Thank you, Lord. We had immense gratitude for our family and friends who offered a room, a hot shower, or a place to sit in the air conditioning and charge our phones and computers after their utilities were restored. I can say without a doubt that in our home, and I feel confident extrapolating to the entire community, we all felt an enormous wave of gratitude when the hard-working linemen pulled up on our streets and when that first flick of power came on in our houses! I don’t think that I have ever been that thankful for air conditioning and a hot shower.
When we have these collective experiences, we may tend to talk to one another about gratitude after the storm has passed. But what about the private storms that you endure on your own … the tough stretches or seasons of life that not everyone sees? We are entering the time of year when everyone is encouraged to find things to be thankful for, and the holidays may bring a renewed sense of gratitude for all our blessings. But what about the other ten months of the year? How do we retain a sense of gratitude in the mundane?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 it says, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Reading this passage is so convicting for me because, honestly, I can be extremely ungrateful in many circumstances. When we go through difficult seasons or situations, I think it is really easy to fall into our fleshly default settings of wanting to grumble and complain. This is why Paul’s Christ-centered framework sounds so radical. Rejoice and give thanks in everything when the wholeness of my body wants to do the opposite? The next natural question in my mind is, how do I get there? How do I develop this posture of thankfulness in all things?
In the previous Scripture, it tells us to pray without ceasing. If you want to develop a heart that is filled with gratitude, start with prayer! Ask God to point out all the ways in which you are so richly blessed throughout your day, both big and small. Trust me, He will be faithful in bringing it to your mind. For me this past week, I have been filled with gratitude by listening to my daughter, Emma, begin to sing along with some of her favorite songs. She is newly verbal within the last year and a half, so she often speaks songs, but singing along is more difficult due to the speed. However, lately, I hear her singing along with Moana, and I immediately stop and just thank God for the blessing of listening to her words because, for so many years, we didn’t have that privilege. I also find myself filled with gratitude that my nine-and-a-half-year-old son does not want to go to bed at night before he has had snuggle time with his mama. I know it won’t last forever, but for now, that is such a gift! I never want these bright spots in my day to become dull due to my inability to see them for the amazing blessings from a loving Father that they truly are. We know from Luke 6 that what comes out of our mouths is simply an overflow of the heart, and we must find a way to focus on the good. Our minds should ruminate on what is true, pure, lovely, and admirable. (Philippians 4:8)
Find the areas big and small in your life that you can thank your Heavenly Father for, and don’t miss an opportunity to stop and praise Him for it in that moment! As this becomes routine, a more grateful heart naturally follows. My friends, it is so important to remember that all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). In the joyful seasons of life, as well as the excruciatingly difficult trials we may endure, there is a plan and a purpose through joy and pain so much bigger than we can comprehend. All the experiences of your life are designed to bring you close to Jesus and give Him all the glory He so deserves. I think we can all agree, that His abundant grace and love for us is something that should continually and eternally fill our hearts with gratitude.