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“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:8 {NLT}

Do you realize that we are not instructed to be thankful FOR every circumstance? We are told to be thankful IN every circumstance.

There is a difference.

I don’t know about you, but understanding that difference is freeing for me. I have walked some dark paths in this life and honestly can’t quite get my heart to a place of thankfulness for all of them yet. Oh, but how I have experienced thankfulness and blessings, even in the darkness. It is beautiful.

In our family, we call this wearing our “blessing goggles”. We keep them firmly in place.

Blessing goggles…

help keep the cold winds of negativity from altering our vision,

provide clarity and protection from getting lost [in pity parties],

keep our vision trained on the task at hand, and

help reflect the sun [Son].

I am not saying that focusing on blessings will make all our troubles disappear. Rather, I am saying when we make a conscious choice to look for the blessings, our perspective will change. Even better, our attitude might just change as well!

There is power in a thankful heart.

Strap on your “blessing goggles” and focus on thankfulness.

Choose it!

Hunt it down if you must, but find it, and claim it as your own.

Make gratitude a priority.

“But I’ve nothing to be thankful for,” you say.

Oh sweet sister, God is at work all around you, exactly where you are right now at this very moment. Whether it is an obviously blessed event where you can’t help but stumble in a pile of thankfulness; or it is the darkest moment of your life where suffering and turmoil weigh you down. God is there with you and He is pouring out blessings, large and small over you.

Train your eyes to look for the blessings. Start small if you must, but start now.

Find something…anything to express thankfulness to God for.

My expressions have at times been as simple as “Thank You, Lord, for crisp air to breathe.” They have been as raw as “Thank You, Father, for never leaving me in this storm; Your presence is a blessing.” I have thanked Him for a coffee. I have thanked Him for helping me take captive negative or sinful thoughts. These are blessings He has allowed. One year in a particularly difficult half marathon, where I literally ran for 10 miles directly into a south 40-mph wind, I mentally chanted “Thank You, Lord, that I can run” over and over and over again.

A thankful heart removes the focus from our problems and places it on God’s goodness.

Another way to recognize blessings is to purpose to be one. I drive my children to and from school each day. Our habit is to pray in route, thanking God for their school and teachers and asking Him to use us to bless others in this day. Setting our minds on the task of blessing others seems to open our eyes more to the many blessings around us.

I’ll tell you what I tell myself at times when I’ve temporarily misplaced my own blessing goggles, “Stop the excuses! Seek out the blessings. Secure those goggles and search for His goodness.”

Oh ladies, He is faithful and He is good. He is unchanging. Look for Him and His blessings in your life.

Lord, thank You for raining down Your blessings all around us. Help us to have eyes to see them and hearts to thank You for them. Amen.