Today I'm thankful for...
...Grace
I'd always heard people say that marriage has a way of showing a person their faults and selfishness, and well, now I can vouch for the truthfulness of that statement. Such has certainly been the case for me, though not in a hopeless, depressing way. Instead I find myself all the more grateful for God's grace and forgiveness - and for a husband who consistently demonstrates that grace to me as well. Never once has he he been condemning, even when I've made some ridiculously stupid mistakes. This graciousness and forgiveness is a precious thing indeed, and it's helping me comprehend and accept God's grace in a new way. I pray I may in turn show it to others!
And today's post:
Important things I'm learning about gratitude
One thing I've been learning this year (or re-learning, really) is the importance of verbally expressing gratitude, not only to God, but also to others. This has a two-fold benefit:
1) The recipient of the thanks will be encouraged, and motivated to continue doing things for others. And it just might be that their love language (like mine!) is words of affirmation, so your words may mean far more to them than you realize.
2) You will be encouraged, too. There's something about verbally expressing gratitude that impresses the blessings even deeper in our minds. Guess that's what the hymn is talking about in that line: "Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done." Just as griping makes a person feel more depressed, speaking words of gratitude is sure to cheer anyone up. Definitely worth a try!
I try to remember to thank Joe for little things he does around the house, for the times he so kindly puts up with my grumpy or emotional days, and for the ongoing responsibilities he handles responsibly and without complaining. My goal is for our home to have an attitude of cheerful gratitude, and even though we certainly often fall quite short we just get up and keep trying. Life is too short to be ungrateful and unhappy about everything, and we are very blessed indeed.
"Instead I find myself all the more grateful for God's grace and forgiveness - and for a husband who consistently demonstrates that grace to me as well."
ReplyDelete^I feel the same way.It's amazing to be married to a man that not only loves the Lord, but seeks to show me forgiveness and compassion on a regular basis.