Best Thing I’ve Realized All Day…

When God gave me the idea for “The Thankfulness Project,” you can imagine my eagerness to dig in and get going. But less than a week later, I had to laugh at myself because it took that amount of time for the idea to lose its luster. I think I expected everything to fall into place immediately and became a little deflated when it didn’t happen that way. What happened next, mentally, went a little something like this:

Begin Cycle: Ashley dwells on what “isn’t” in her world and wonders why not > As the questions overtake her, she gets frustrated and/or worried and forgets about the trail of thank-worthy things God has already done > She stops appreciating, but keeps expecting…*sigh* Cycle repeat.

Wow.  I can’t figure out which is worse…actually seeing my feelings in writing or the fact that it has taken me almost 29 years to realize one critical, life-changing fact. The cycle can actually be broken at any point. The key? I must make the conscious decision to be thankful no matter what. Anyone can be appreciative when things are wonderful. However, monumental growth occurs when I decide to look for and appreciate God at all times…especially in the meantime when it doesn’t always feel good. There’s no better insulation from the turbulence of life than the realization that God is always there and He’s always working. Rely on it…rest in it.