Bloom Where You're Planted - Rain or Shine

Bloom Where You're Planted -

Rain or Shine

Thanksgiving is a natural time for counting our blessings and reflecting on God's goodness. It's a time for remembering all the many things that He and others have done for us. We thank Him for family, friends, home, food, and freedom.

But let's think for a minute...what if we didn't have, or lost, those blessings? What if we lost our freedoms in America? What if the house burns down? What happens when we lose a loved one or close friend? Can we still thank God? Could you still be content when you lose your job? What about when you have a job, but hate it?

In every situation, in every circumstance, God tells us to give thanks. It may be difficult to feel thankful, but we can find something to give thanks for. We can be thankful in trials that God can work good through it, that He can use it to make us more like Himself, if we will be obedient and allow Him to have His way. When loved ones die, we can be grateful for the time we did have with them, and if they had received Jesus Christ into their hearts, we can be thankful that we will be reunited one day, and that they will never suffer again. A.A. Milne, the author/writer of the children's cartoon, Winnie the Pooh, once wrote, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” So there is always a way to "in every thing give thanks."

God wants us to be content and grateful in every area of our lives. Years ago, I learned a short children's song that we would all do well to learn and apply.

"Contented, contented, contented I'll be,

Wherever I'm planted, I'll grow faithfully.

A tent or a cottage - why should I care?

Contented, contented I'll be." 

A friend of mine recently said that one of the first steps to moving away from God is forgetting - forgetting to be thankful and remember what He has done for us. The first step back is remembering. And did you ever notice - self-pity and complaining cannot thrive in a thankful heart. It is very difficult to feel sorry for yourself while dwelling on all God has done. Such thoughts simply cannot co-habit. The next time you begin to feel depressed or grumpy, give the devil a black eye by writing down and thinking on things that you have. Remember the Garden of Eden and the "Tree of Good and Evil"? Instead of focusing on the things you can't or don't have, start focusing on the things you can or do have. It just might change your life.