“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will ponder all Your work, and meditate on Your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; You have made known your might among the peoples.” (Psalm 77:11-14)
It is often difficult in moments of trial to remember the goodness and blessings of the LORD. Yet we are commanded in Scripture to remember what God has done for us – and when we do, our focus is shifted from complaint and discouragement to praise and thanksgiving. A heart of thanksgiving is one that acknowledges Who is the blessed Giver of all things, and Who is working every circumstance for our good and His glory. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)
This year I designated the calendar in my bedroom to be my “Calendar of Thanks.” Each night, I will write something from the day for which I am thankful. At a difficult point in the school year, I realized that I was still resenting the hard parts of the day and only giving thanks for the things that were most obviously a blessing…so I gave myself a challenge – if something was difficult in my day, I had to look there and be thankful. It is a transforming mindset and something I have to continually practice.
In this way I am tracking the days through each month, and I am given the opportunity to look back and remember how God has blessed me.
