Thankful When It's Hard To Be

Something I've been learning a lot about for awhile now is contentment. I made it a goal this summer to find peace and joy in all circumstances, to stop comparing my circumstances to anyone else's. 

What I've been told a lot by authors and mentors is that when you are feeling least content, you should combat that with thankfulness. Discontentment has so much to do with what we feel we are lacking and it causes us to lose sight of what we do have. So here, in my attempt to fight discontentment in this "thankful" season, I will express my thankfulness.

First and foremost, I am thankful that Jesus can redeem any situation. What the devil uses to harm me, God uses for good.

I am thankful that my marriage doesn't suffer when we face storms. It would be all too easy to blame each other or take frustration out on one another, but we don't. We cling. We lean on one another. Our marriage outlasts the storms.

I am thankful for the best support system in my family. My husband, parents, and siblings are my greatest role models and best friends. Each year I think I couldn't be more thankful for them and then the next year, I have grown even more with them. They are true solid rocks in my life.

I am thankful for the way God uses pain in our lives to grow us. This has been evident for me the past year. I have learned a lot. Every time I face a new challenge, I am able to face it a little stronger and more confident than the last, all because God grows us and strengthens us through trials.

I am thankful for a group of awesome middle school and high school students! It's such an honor and blessing to be in the lives of these people. They chase after God and challenge my own faith in a lot of way.

I am thankful for FaceTime because it lets me talk face to face with family. Most importantly it allows Grace, Graham, and Brynlee to show off by dancing around for me every now and then!

That is not an entire list, of course, but this is what it is on my heart today. I choose thankfulness instead of discontentment!