Did You Remember?
“We forget that waking up each day is the first thing we should be grateful for.”
~ Unknown
Yesterday may have been the best day of your life thus far. It may have been a so-so kind of day. It may have been one of your worst days. However, we often forget the fact that, no matter what kind of day we are having, we are alive. That is the very first gift given to us each day. When we wake up alive, we have been given another day by God to use as we see fit and, hopefully, to use for God’s greater honor and glory.
We will not be able to do so unless we recognize the fact that the new day given to us is a gift. Some of us wake up in the morning and immediately begin to dread. We do not look forward to what we have to do that day. We do not look forward to what might happen to us. We do not like to think about our responsibilities of the day.
Once again, we would have none of those responsibilities, chores, celebrations, or joys if we had not awakened that morning. Do we take time to give God His due? Do we thank Him for that great gift of life?
How we wake up, our first thoughts, often shape the remainder of our day. If we wake up with thankfulness and praise in our hearts, the day will go in a much more positive direction and the people we encounter will be blessed because we cannot help but share that positivity and joy with them.
If, on the other hand, we wake up far from thankful, if we dread our day, that, too, will color our thoughts and actions. God help the person that gets in our way that day. God help the person who needs some cheer and comfort. That person would most likely not find that in us.
A thankful person is a joy to be around. A thankful person inspires others to do their best. A thankful person gives hope to someone who has lost their own hope. A thankful person is a great gift to others. God has blessed us so that we can be just that: a gift to others.
The choice really does come down to each and every one of us. We can choose to live lives of praise and gratitude or we can rue the day and fret about everything that is to come. Make this day a day of gratitude and praise. Let your joy and your attitude be contagious so that others might find hope and comfort.
If you are having trouble justifying feeling hopeful and joyful, think about Jesus. If anyone had a reason to rue the day, it would have been Him. Yet, each day was a day of gratitude to His Father and each act was an act of devotion to God. Each day that we live, we can be thankful for His life, death, and resurrection.
FAITH ACTION: Did you remember to give thanks to God for your life today? Make sure to do so before you do anything else.