1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

It was -20 degrees, with a wind chill factor of -30. I definitely did not want to go out into that deepfreeze.

So what? a little voice in my head seemed to ask. Your dog has to go out. Would you rather not have this dog? That thought shocked me, so, grudgingly, I yanked on as many layers as I could, pulled my parka over everything, and wrapped my scarf tightly around my neck. I put Sparky's coat on him and stomped out into a frozen world of white.

The frigid air took away my breath and attacked my nose. How I hated this merciless weather! So what? It's winter, and winter is cold. Be grateful you have warm clothes to wear. Many people don't.

I covered my stinging nose with the back of my mitten, and struggled through the snow drifts that had piled up on my sidewalk overnight. Now I have to be shovelled out again, I growled. More money!

So what? Be glad you have the money to pay for it. I was beginning to be quite irritated by these thoughts.

It was nearly impossible to see with the sun's blinding rays reflecting off the banks of white. Just as I was about to spout off yet another complaint, I turned around to check on the whereabouts of my dog. That's when I noticed the thousands of diamonds sparkling off the snow in front of me. It was absolutely breath-taking.

In that moment, everything suddenly took on a whole new perspective, as I began to look at my situation from a different angle. What if I were blind? I would never be able to see this glorious sight? Thank You, Lord, for the gift of sight, I whispered contritely.

Once I had bowed my head in repentance for my ingratitude and started expressing my gratitude to God for His blessings, I couldn't seem to stop. My heart poured out a litany of praise right there on the street.

Thank You for all of my warm clothing and for the money to pay to have my sidewalk shovelled. And I even thank You for the stinging sensation on my nose that reminds me I can feel. Thank You for the privilege of walking my dog today. Last year, I couldn't walk him at all because of the pain in my knees. Thank You that my knees have improved so much.

I bent over and wrapped my arms around the little fur ball, and expressed my deep gratitude to God for this wiggly gift of joy He had given me.

And perhaps most of all, Lord, thank You for my "little voice" that wouldn't be silenced.

Often, we do not see certain events that occur in our lives as blessings, but God's Word is very clear insofar as it tells us that His will is for us to be thankful in all things. We need to ask for His help to trust His faithfulness and His never-failing love for us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes we forget how much You have given us, and we should be thanking You continually instead of complaining about insignificant inconveniences. Forgive us for such an attitude of ingratitude, and help us to be constantly aware of the countless blessings that You pour out on us every day. Amen.

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About the author:

Sharon Y. Greer <sygreer11@gmail.com>
Sandycove Acres, Innisfil, Ontario, Canada
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