Thanksgiving

With thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

In the bible there are a lot of verses about thanksgiving. I once read the book by Norman Vincent Peale "As A Man Thinketh". It changed the way I thought about a lot of things and by things I mean circumstances, attitude about events in life. I began to realize that instead of looking at a rough situation and being sad and upset about it I could look at the good in it. 

Right after I read that book-we're talking way back in 2006,we went shopping. And at the time our grocery budget was so little I stressed every time we shopped as I had to count each penny exactly so as not to go over our budget. There were times where I had no idea how I managed to buy enough for a family of 5, but somehow God always provided.

Anyways, how I started looking at that differently...instead of grocery shopping and being frustrated because I can't buy very much-even if we needed it. I began to look at that situation and was grateful that I could shop! I could walk around the store in relatively good health. I could see and look at all the things on the shelf. I could lift a piece of fruit and put it in my basket.

I was grateful for the food I could buy! So many people can't afford to feed their families. They will make food for their children and go hungry. Or they will feed their children and not know if they'll be able to eat at the next meal, but God has always provided for us to the point where we've never gone hungry.

Then over the next few years I had to work on my attitude with my health. Some of you may know it's not the greatest and most days I have pain of some sort. But:

Even though my health has been rough over the last month I'm thankful for God's provision of foods that are good and healthy for me to eat. Everyone who eats healthy knows it isn't as cheap as eating canned and boxed food. To eat veggies, fruits and fresh meat can be expensevo-especially if you need certain things! But God has provided food every time I turn around for my particular health needs.

I'm thankful that while I may be in pain and struggle with not being able to do things I know it could be worse...but it isn't worse. God has given me the grace to get through it. I also have the support of my family. Whereas some people who suffer like I have are just told they are lazy and ridiculous.

 I've also been changing the way I approach God in prayer. Instead of just asking him for what I need I have been thanking him for providing that need ahead of time. Now I'm not saying that I wasn't thankful before, I always have had a portion of my prayer set aside for thanking him. But I feel that by thanking him for the provision of the need I am praying for...it shows and helps me to trust that He will meet that need!

After all....God's Got This!