Gratitude

          I believe God answers our prayers in the most unique ways. I mean really, who could begin to fully conceptualize God and the extent of His power?
 
        “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5)
 
       “Then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.” (Ecclesiastes 8:17)
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       The other day I found myself asking God to help me with my ungrateful spirit. A lot of my ingratitude stems from knowing what I want to do professionally but not being there or seeing a clear path. So my impatience and frustration causes me to resent God when in actuality it’s not time for said doors to be open. I’m confident I am not lacking anything God would have me to have right now. But an interesting thing happened as I asked God to help with my ingratitude; He opened my eyes to see how much I had in comparison to others.

1. The first instance came when I was talking to someone new at my job. They had mentioned how they were only part-time but wanted to be full-time. They wanted  to work; had been the happiest they had been in years and was actually sad when they weren’t around the office. And on top of this they smiled through an hour plus commute one way each day to work. Talk about wakeup call in my professional ungratefulness!
2. As I was listening to an interview for a story I was writing for the news, I learned it was about a young boy who was getting his wish granted for Make-A-Wish. What did he wish for? Not for a ton of toys, not to meet a celebrity, but for a birthday party. He had learned he had a brain tumor just weeks before his 10th birthday and spent that birthday in the hospital undergoing treatment. For his 11th birthday  he didn’t even want gifts, he wanted gifts given to other patients in the area. Talk about a check to my ungrateful spirit!

 
            So I’m not saying I have conquered ingratitude but a got a few reminders that I have so much to be thankful for.

a fun day in San Francisco in front of Lombard Street

        “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:3-5) 
 
         So I encourage you to go to God in prayer; He’s listening.

        “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)