21 Days To Cultivate A Grateful HeartSample

Day 12: We Acknowledge the Things Around Us 

God’s Word clearly tells us to give thanks for ALL things ALL the time. 

We can rest in the things around us as God’s provision for His children. Whatever you have, it’s yours. It’s a reflection of God’s provision in your life. He gave you the skills and desires to do the job you do that generates the paycheck you receive which purchased the things you own. Then, there’s the things that have been given to you. That speaks to an even bigger blessing. What we may resent as a hand me down is a well- loved version with a history being used in our story. 

After my grandmother passed away, my mother gave me all of her pearl necklaces. I could be frustrated that I don’t have any real pearls of my own, or I can be thankful that the ones I do have were given to me by someone who loved them and wanted me to have them. 

REFLECT: Take a look around you at everything you have. Instead of thinking about the things you don’t have, take a mental inventory of what you see. Everything you see is an opportunity to turn to praise, thanksgiving and gratitude. 

RESPOND: You know the drill. Grab your notebook and write down a FULL page of what you see from where you sit. EVERYTHING. The pen you’re writing with, the table you’re writing on, the chair you’re sitting on, the clothes you’re wearing...shift you’re eyes to see them as God’s blessings in place of your possessions. 

In your prayer time, tell God what you’re grateful for. To take it a step further, tell Him why you’re grateful for the things around you.