With the approaching of Thanksgiving, gratitude takes a front row seat. However, gratitude can be considered at other times, too. Consider it as a practice to become more fully present, aware and contented. Would you consider taking a daily challenge and see how the miracle of gratitude can change your life?
What is the miracle of gratitude?
I learned about the miracle of gratitude from Melody Beattie’s book, Make Miracles in 40 Days. which helps you focus on what circumstances you’d like to see changed. Miracle may be a strong word for you. The definition of miracle is
an extraordinary event demonstrating divine intervention in human affairs or an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment.
For me, seeing a miracle in daily living is keeping my eyes and ears open to where God is at work. It can help you stay more present to His presence in your life, if you start looking for those miracles.. What I appreciate about miracles, is that when you look for them, they begin to appear.
Gratitude,
a realization of appreciation or thankfulness.
Gratitude increases the likelihood of you being able to see miracles in your daily living. It sets you in a state of being fully present and noticing your thoughts, feelings and reactions to what is going on around you.
How to begin to see miracles of gratitude around you?
What is your best way of noticing your thoughts, feelings and reactions to your day? If you want to “see” miracles of gratitude, then you will want to begin capturing them, like snapshots on your digital camera. What is it that you are hoping to see God do in your life?
Sit down with a pen and paper first and make a list of goals and desires for the next 40 days. Ask God also for what He has in store for you. Then each day make a bullet list of that for which you are grateful. It doesn’t mean that everything went right or well to be grateful. If you’re not a writer, perhaps recording your thoughts can be a way of capturing your gratitude.
For example, I am grateful that:
I realized how overbooked my calendar got this week. I got grumpy and out of sorts. I didn’t leave room for me to refuel my own soul. By today, Friday, I have no more room for any more people. I am grateful for the awareness of how more and more finite my energy is. I am to better pace my time….
I have good doctors to rely on as I go through this thyroid process. I don’t like the aging process of my body. t am grateful for prayer partners, good medical support and a peace that passes all understanding. I am not making this journey. alone
for being able to be fully present with my granddaughters. I discovered how my prayer for my oldest one was answered. I had interceded for her recently. When I prayed, I had the vision of her happily skipping down the road with Jesus. It was about the same time, she gave her heart to Jesus. So grateful for the miracle of God’s goodness and awareness of His hand at work.
The other piece of the miracle of gratitude to keep you writing is having an accountability partner. Writing to someone about what you are seeing, thinking and noticing, day after day, keeps you going. The other person makes no comment about what you are writing. They are only there as a partner to receive your words. My partner is the reason I have been able to keep this practice going for the last six months.
How can the miracle of gratitude change your life?
Miracles of gratitude keep you fully present and your brain noticing. It also keeps you open to where God is at work.. You can review your day and see what you have become aware of in that day. feel, think or notice.
Where you aware of God in your day? How can you realize gratitude in what you are thinking, feeling, noticing? Gratitude, no matter what, begins to help you let go of control, judgment and deepen your awareness. It also sets up your brain for more clarity.
Please know I am not saying to be grateful for tragedy in your life. The death of a loved one is not something for which to be grateful. However, most every other circumstance, you can find some grain of gratitude of realization of what you are learning in the process.
The miracle of gratitude has changed my life through more awareness of my day to day thinking.. I tend to be other focused so paying attention to my own thoughts and feelings is a miracle in and of itself.
I have come to accept more of my own foibles by writing down my daily reflections. I’m writing things from a gratitude perspective and can see what I need to surrender or let go of when there are continued repeating patterns.
Finally, the biggest miracle of gratitude has been acceptance of how I am wired and more clarity of where God is working. I see more clearly where I can join Him, like interceding for others in prayer.
For me, I have become more and more passionate about encouraging women to have conversations with God in prayer, as my own prayer life, through the miracle of gratitude, has continued to grow.
What about you?
What miracle would you like to see in your own life? Become closer to God, family, friends? Let go of judgmental thoughts, emotions and reactions? Join God where He is at work? Become more aware, fully present and contented with the life path you are on?
Whatever miracle you are looking for, beginning with the miracle of gratitude is a place to start. Becoming aware of all the things you can be grateful for actually rewires your brain as well as connects you more closely to God.
It is an effort to make a short list every day of what you are noticing, feeling and thinking. Connecting with God on a daily basis does take work. However, I think miracles and a relationship with Him could be worth it. I encourage you to take the challenge.
You’ll be so glad you did.
Nancy Booth wants to create safe spaces for you, helping you find ways to have two-way conversations with God. She loves encouraging you to look for ways He is at work. Nancy is a spiritual director and writer. She would love to accompany you on your journey of discovery to hear and see more of the God who delights in you. Peace, hope and freedom could be yours Contact her today..
I love this and have seen in my own life how blessed I am when I am focused on gratitude! Thank you Nancy for sharing your heart today! Kathy
You are welcome, Kathy. I am glad you have had the experience of focusing on gratitude. God is so gracious to us, isn’t He? Blessings to you on your journey.
Well said Nancy! I have also benefited from taking time each day – quiet moments to “capture the stills” that remind me of how God has been showing up in my world. God Creator touching the heart of his beloved creation. What precious gifts!
I love your picture of capturing the stills. I, too, am benefiting from that concept. Taking the time each day makes such a difference, doesn’t it? Thank you for sharing your heart and how He touches you. Blessings to you Kathy!