Living a Life of GratitudeSampel

When my husband Edward left the military, the Lord convicted me of the need to lift my eyes from my circumstances and to be grateful. This season was a time of loss for me— not in the death of a loved one, but in the loss of community, identity and purpose. I am an Army brat who had only known military life. Right out of college, I married my Army husband to live and serve alongside him. I loved the Army life. I thrived on the constant moving, the adventure, living for something beyond yourself, and most importantly, loving the people God brought into our lives during each new season. Friends became family, and serving our country was a joy.

This was our first 15 years of marriage—deployments, moving, and military life. Then God called my husband to leave all we had ever known to serve with Samaritan’s Purse. Although I had peace about this decision and the Lord confirmed it in my heart, I was still angry, sad, and disappointed. I had hoped He would call us to stay in the military for many more decades.

We moved to the mountains of North Carolina in January 2019. This was my first non-military move, and I was struggling. Military moves are easy. It is a way of life, and everyone around you understands it. People are welcoming and helpful, allowing you to settle quickly and put your roots down in a new place. But this time, it was different. We moved to a small town where most people around us lived their entire lives. They had family, lifelong connections, and an established community. We arrived in the middle of winter, it was bitterly cold, and my husband was constantly traveling. Snow days interrupted our daily routine, and we even had an emergency room visit when my son broke his arm. I was tired and missed my Army friends.

The Lord tenderly spoke to me one day; however, I’ll never forget how gratitude changed me. It didn’t change my circumstances but changed my perspective and attitude.

As I was reading 1 Kings 4, the story of the widow’s oil stopped me in my tracks. I don’t know the depths of the pain of being a widow, but I do know it affects all aspects of your life. I have several widowed friends, and I’ve watched how heartache changes their lives as they try to grieve, honor, and remember their husband’s legacy—all while trying to rewrite their own stories. It’s gut-wrenching to grieve such a deep loss while also trying to rebuild.

In the culture and Biblical times this woman was living in, losing her husband meant that she was in great crisis economically, and she was going to lose her sons to slavery. In desperation, she reached out to Elisha, a prophet of God, for help.

2 Kings 4:1-7 stopped me for many reasons. First, I loved how Elisha asked her, “What can I do for you?” She had just told him her problem, and it seemed he should have had some ideas on how to help, but he probed her. Before she could answer, he asked another question, “What do you have in your house.”

This second question is where I paused. I asked myself those two questions— What would I ask be done for me? What do I have in my house?

Instantly, I realized I was focused and fixated on what I didn’t have rather than seeing all I possessed. I began listing the things I did have and was amazed by how blessed I was. I immediately repented my ungrateful heart.

The story continues in verse 2 as the widow replies, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”

I was convicted even more with her response. All she had to her name was a jar of oil. Then I looked around and saw so many material possessions in my house, but more importantly, I thought of my spiritual inheritance. I was overcome with gratitude.

Elisha then told her to go out and gather empty containers from her neighbors. He urged her to get as many as possible, and then she would bring them back and pour oil from her jar. Miraculously, she was able to fill every single container. Elisha told her to sell this oil to pay her debt. He provided a way for her to make a living from what she already had. Her faith in gathering empty jars brought about provision.

It hit me that so often, we don’t see all the blessings we have. We think we don’t have anything to offer, but God has given us so much, and in His strength, we can overflow and live an abundant life. As John 10:10 reminds us, “A thief comes to kill, steal and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance” (CSB).

We aren’t promised prosperity, but Jesus came to offer us an eternal inheritance that can never be taken from us. This story reminded me that I have so much to be thankful for— physically but, more importantly, spiritually. I encourage you to ask yourself, “What do you have in your house?”