The past two years I’ve been in a season of learning to love myself. And while that might sound quite romantic it’s been one of the most painful journey’s I’ve been on in my story and cultivating gratitude has been a massive part of this process for me. Now I understand why the bible encourages us so much to give thanks because it’s completely connected to joy + abundance.
‘Joy seems to me a step beyond happiness. Happiness is a sort of atmosphere you can live in sometimes when you’re lucky. Joy is a light that fills you with hope and faith and love’ – Adela Rogers St. Johns
Gratitude is being present in the moment and becoming aware of the abundant blessings in our lives no matter the circumstance. Gratitude is about being intentional and happening to your life instead of life happening to you. Gratitude is about deep deep wells of joy. Gratitude is us choosing life. Gratitude is a powerful tool and if shifts the atmosphere in your inner world.
I’ve always been a naturally thankful person but I came to a point where I started to become so weighed down by my dreams and all of the things I wanted for my future. I became so weighed down that suddenly I was stuck in a fantasy. I’m sad that I was actually missing some really beautiful things that was in that season that I don’t have in this season. I have new things now, but I wish I poured more focus onto the blessings because God really does know what he’s doing, he really really does.
‘Stop waiting for Friday, for summer, for someone to fall in love with you, for life, contentment happens when you stop waiting for it and you start making the most of the moment you’re in’
I don’t want to waste another moment.
Yes our dreams matter, we want to see God move, we want to live to the fullest and some days will be those things but there’s something I don’t want to forget and that’s the beautiful simplicity’s of life. There is wonder in everything and there is love all around us. I want to allow gratitude to fill my soul when I’m reading a book, feeling the breeze, watching football with dad, seeing the children around me grow, hugging my mum, laughing with friends, sitting alone in silence, chatting about Jesus with my youth group, starting projects, playing guitar, sipping my coffee, walking in creation, being in the office with my amazing colleagues, listening to music, these beautiful moments that make life sweet. I want to be thankful every single day because that’s when I live life to the fullest, thats when I experience love and joy in fullness. Even when it’s really really hard, when we declare gratitude, our souls become content.
this year I’ve had a lot of grief that flooded into my life because of circumstances and loss but weirdly at the same time it’s been the most blessed year of my life and I wonder if apart of that has been more apparent because of the practise of gratitude. I notice the little things that I didn’t really notice before now, and this makes me feel really beautiful in side actually.
I don’t want to forget my blessings
I dont’t want to take for granted the things I have that other people are praying to have in their own lives
‘I think I learned the most about the value of ordinary from interviewing men and women who have experienced tremendous loss. The memories that they held most sacred were the ordinary every day moments, and their hope for others is that they would stop long enough to be grateful for those moments and the joy they bring. Joy is what happens when we begin to recognise how good things really are’ – Brene Brown
Let’s live in thankfulness my loves. It makes everything more beautiful.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Did you notice that? Rejoicing, being thankful, and praying to your heavenly Papa is God’s will for your life.
God already knew the richness this would bring and he thought it up.
Gratitude is the celebration of life
So how can you start to practise gratitude?
Are you excited?
You should be
Here’s some idea’s for you
- use instagram
On our instagram @wiildhearts__ we do daily thankful hearts instagram stories. this has been a massive part of my gratitude practise and not only has it kept me accountable because our followers expect these stories but it has actually changed my life….. I notice so many blessings every day…. I was even walking earlier and felt so thankful for the pavement I was walking on.. that would never have entered my mind before! And not only has it changed my life but I’ve had so many messages about how people love and feel so inspired by the posts. So maybe this is something you could do as well.
2. gratitude journal
buy a journal and before you go to bed write 5 things you were thankful for that day
3. embrace silence and ponder on your blessings
a good time to do this is first thing in the morning, in the afternoon with a cup of tea, or just before you go to sleep
4. read
buy some good books that really unpack the topic. I highly recommend any of Brene Browns books
5. embrace your season
God knows your heart, and He knows you. Trust Him with where you’re at and follow His voice in your heart
6. declare thanks
there was an incredible moment I had in this last year, in the morning I felt really really sad and hopeless about my future, and I started to say out loud how thankful I was to God, and I listed off the blessings in my life. I felt a tangible shift in my soul and felt so much joy the next moment! There is SO much power in our spoken word. Declare thanks. At first it will be really hard.. but persevere until you feel a shift inside. The joy is already there, it just takes thanksgiving to unlock the floodgates sometimes
‘I see gratitude as away of life available to each of us in every moment. Consciously choosing gratitude in our daily life is an act of love and kindness to ourselves and to each other. We can choose to be grateful and invite more growth, learning, love and abundance into our lives. It is powerful to remember that the simple things we take for granted are another persons dream. In every moment, we have the power to choose gratitude and live richly’
How empowering,
Lets give thanks, whilst we can feel all of our dreams, lets take a deep breath of trust and faith and hope and expectation, open our eyes, breathe out and be content with the beauty of now.
Wild Hearts 