Gratitude

God is funny, and persistent.
I had to laugh when I see yet another of my devotions talking about gratitude. ;)
I think God probably knows that if things does not repeat itself, I will forget.
This few months, my devotions have been something like 'Gratitude, giving thanks etc etc'
When I read about gratitude again yesterday, I was laughing.
He is hard pressed on getting me to give thanks, and lessen the amount of complains I have.*laughs*

But it's true.
When I DO give thanks, I begin to see glimpses of glory that would be veiled from my eyes.
When I appreciate, it affirms my believe that everything is in His hands.That His hands are large enough to hold all of me, everything of me, including my future.
When I give thanks to Him for being with me and walking alongside me, I feel assured, comforted that He would pick me up when I fall.


Do you remember I had been like so stressed up about life.
Life is always so busy, so full of things.So distracting me from enjoying every single moment of my life.
I feel pissed, pissed that life has taken away so many things from me, my God given precious life==
I was stressed , I was like 'God, please help me, please help me.I need You.Please come'
Every prayer was a desperate cry for help.

Then one night, as I was wondering about something (at this point of time I can't remember what)
It struck me.Maybe my method is wrong.God has ALWAYS been with me.
The circumstances were so overwhelming that it has blocked Him out from my view.
When everything starts to crash down and everything spun out of control, I was so absorbed into it I forget that God is already with me, within me,  beside me.
So I changed my prayer, to thank Him ,affirming the fact that He has always been there.For me.

And you know what, things change.Gradually.
I'm not saying that I don't feel stress now.Well, not as stressed as before.
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend of mine, and he said that when he first saw me, I used to bang on the keyboard, that I was so worked up and just pulling long faces.==
I still feel offended by it.*laughs* But I know it's true.People see stress written all over my face.

I feel better now, not that frustrated anymore, you know.
At least not that panicky and worked up.
Okay, at this point of time, I need a disclaimer: I'm only human.Things may still happen that makes my wanna scream on top of my lungs.

But I learn, okay.(well, sometimes I do forget)
But when I remember, I give thanks to Him and praise Him for His work in my life.
I praise Him for His love for me.
I praise Him for the trials He placed in my life to strengthen me.
I praise Him for all the pits that I've fallen into, that when I crawl out of it, I may understand the pain that others go through when they are stuck in there.It helps me to understand them better, and to love them.Because I've already been there, it helps me FEEL them.


Today I learn how David does it too.

    On many occasions in the Psalms, David complained about his circumstances (Psalms 42, 57, 62). But more often than not, about midway through David’s laments, he begins praising God for who He is and thanking God for what He’s done. And you know what happens? All of a sudden David starts feeling better! Life isn’t so bad after all! His problems grow smaller as his perspective of God grows larger, and he begins to see God’s glory shining through the situation.

It's true, if you check out the Psalms given above.You discover how David's perspective changes as he shifts from complaining to gratitude.


I'm learning to make it a habit, to praise Him and thank Him, even when circumstances cloud my eyes and overwhelm me, I want to speak His love language of gratitude.
PS: especially so when the Sunday speaker is boring.I should thank God still for the people whose life was touched by the message and not focus on my own selfishness.
It's a learning progress.

So Dear God, catch me when I fall, and gently remind me of the right track when I derail again.