Thankfulness
This is the week of Thanksgiving 2020! It has been a year of much change, ups and downs, and trials. It has also been an amazing year filled with miracles and blessings. I choose to look at the blessings this year and be thankful. We do have a choice. We can choose to be unhappy, bitter, and ungrateful, always looking at the problems or we can choose to be happy, peaceful, and grateful looking at all of the many ways God has chosen to bless us this year. The same is true in your marriage.
Perspective
What is your daily perspective? Is it positive or negative. We all have bad days, or times when things don’t look like we would like them to, but we can change our perspective with thankfulness. We went and picked out a Christmas tree the other day, and every Fraser Fir had a major bare spot. If you know me at all I love getting a tree each year and always find a beautiful one. This was a little different this year because this was the first year we didn’t have the girls, or any kiddos to get a tree with. They didn’t have hot cocoa because of covid, and now my tree was not looking like I would have hoped. To be honest I felt disappointed and down. But I changed my perspective by being thankful.
Us
I can’t tell you how thankful I am for us. My husband and I have each other and for that we are ever thankful. No matter who comes or goes from our lives, we still have one another. The girls are both graduated, and we are no longer fostering. These are all good things and we are happy about them. But in that moment I had a chose if I would be sad and disappointed or enjoy what a wonderful blessing I have in my husband. I chose the blessing! We had a wonderful time, smiled, laughed, talked with the sweet owners and went home and put up our 2020 tree. You can do the same thing! Be thankful for your spouse, and whatever season you are in!
Trimming The Tree
The next day after the tree had set and the branches fell, we noticed the hole was much larger than we originally thought. I was thinking how can we even put lights on and decorate, feelings of disappointment tried to set in. After a wonderful church service we watched online, we talked about what we would do. I searched my heart, why was this upsetting me? Praying, I then told my husband, let’s just try to make it work! I had mentioned adding the lower limbs my husband had cut off the night before and trying to fill in. He thought it might not work because they were cut, but said let’s give it a try and it may just not last as long. We got started and it worked!!! Choosing to focus on a solution instead of a problem helped us to walk in thankfulness!
What Happened
The next thing you know we were enjoying decorating, listening to Christmas music, and our thankfulness multiplied! We were thankful that we were able to get a tree, and enjoy the season even with everything going on! Our hearts were full, and we now have a beautifully decorated tree to enjoy! It’s not the most important thing, but it helps to bring joy to our season! In marriage you will go through times and seasons that are hard, and being human you may have moments that could take you down a path of emotions that ruin precious moments. Choose thankfulness and watch it multiply!
Multiplication
In marriage you work hard to add to it. We had to add branches to fill in the bare spots, the same in marriage. You fill in the bare spots with prayer, you give, you forgive, you extend mercy, and you love. We add to it by being thankful for what we have. To focus on the good and not the bad. When you make the right choice and focus on the good, are grateful, and add to your marriage daily good things, you see a supernatural God multiply blessings! Only in His kingdom can you see this! There are so many things we could look at and say that needs fixed, or it will never be what I want. When you get refocused through prayer and the word you see the good, the promise, and the miracles!
Expectant Thankfulness
When you see a momma who is expecting, even when she can’t see any changes, she is excited, and expectant! She walks around with joy and thankfulness! Excited for her little promise, her miracle! She doesn’t look at all of the bad around her and think constantly on what could go wrong, she instead imagines what it will be like when her sweet baby is in her arms. The same is true when you are getting married. You focus on what could be and don’t really think about all that could go wrong. You are so thankful for the one you love. This all starts with a heart of thankfulness. We get this through time with Jesus and our expectant thankfulness for heaven and all He has done. All of it correlates. It’s a heart issue. A heart of thankfulness lives in hope, and sees everything in light of the word. Your marriage can have this too, no matter what is going on. It’s up to you! Enjoy your family, your spouse, and Thanksgiving this week! Be thankful and watch it multiply!!
Scriptures
Monday: Colossians 4:2 says, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;” What a perfect scripture for this week!
Tuesday: Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” Perspective helps us if we focus on the God of our hearts who gives us peace, and we are thankful!
Wednesday: Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Praying and giving thanks even in the small things helps us to see Gods perspective and trust He cares!
Thursday: Psalm 28:7 says, “The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” He helps us and we can rejoice and praise him with thanksgiving in our hearts!! What a great God we serve!
Friday: 1st Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” No matter the situation give thanks!
Saturday: Hebrews 6:14 says, “Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” God is in the business of multiplying what only we can add to!
Sunday: Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Keep thankfulness in your heart, so you can see all the good in this world and in your marriage!
Contact
Please feel free to contact us at janene@happilyevermarried.org, and share or read other blog posts at http://happilevermarried.org Thank you for investing in your marriage and have a happily ever married!!