Welcome to this weeks installment of the year-long study “iChoose2 Love my Life” by the iBloom team. Should you care to read all the posts in this series, click {HERE}.

” Being grateful begins with realizing how “FULL” your life is with “GREAT” things”.    ~*~iChoose pg. 29

Scripture instructs us to rejoice in ALL things and to be thankful in all things…not just the things that are easy to be grateful for, but for EVERYTHING.

The good, the bad, and the sometimes truly horrifying.

I’m the first to admit, I find it a challenge to express my appreciation in moments that might include an empty bank account, a life shattered by divorce, or the death of a child.

It seems almost cruel to “rejoice” in moments like those. But is it really cruel? Is this really possible?

Reading chapter 6 of iChoose reminded me of my journey this past year to overcome an ungrateful heart.

I had read Ann Voskamps best selling book, “One Thousand Gifts“. 

To say this book was life changing is an understatement. It opened my eyes to the truth thank gratefulness is not a “giddy” demeanor or plastered on smile. It is a faith thing. It is love thing. It is a forgiveness thing. <-click

It has to do with daily choosing to build a life of faith during times of “non-conflict” so there is a sort of “reserve” to rely on in the face of struggles.

There have been moments in my life where inexplicable peace over shadowed the reality of a deep pain and sorrow. I can actually trace back to the weeks/months before those experiences and note my time in the Word and in prayer was consistent and my reserve was quite filled. 

When my husband was lying in a hospital and we had no clue what was wrong with him was one of those times. He was in the ICU and I was so exhausted from lack of sleep and the constant need to be aware of everything that was going on medically.

Someone said to me: “Oh, how wonderful you get to sit with your husband all those hours and have great times of prayer and communing with God!”

Um…no, not really.

Okay. Not at ALL!

I barely had time to process the words “sign here or your husband will be dead by morning”.

No time for prayer and fasting. No time to get back to the doctors after I consulted scripture and met with my spiritual counsel.

I had to tap into my reserve. My built up knowledge of His promises to me if I struggle. The Words that told me He would never leave me or give me more than I could handle popped to the front of my mind and I knew He had it all under control. 

It was that inexplicable peace.

He would not let me crumble into a mass of hysterical mess–though I wavered at times. He was my Rock. He was all I had to rely on.

The times when I struggled most? Yep. The weeks/months when I did not prioritize my time with Him. OY! So MANY times like that. You would think I would have learned and remained consistent so I would never run on empty.

What can I say. I am a slow learner.

Still, it was not as if I felt utterly alone during those moments. He was my strength then as well. It was just, I don’t know how else to explain it…harder. My faith grew as a result of these painful experiences, just in different ways.

I know this for sure:

Trials, struggles, loss, etc. can always bring greater faith, trust, and hope in Him if we let it. Gratefulness needs to be a part of our struggles even if it goes against what the mind {and everyone else| is telling us.<click 

Take a look at the book of Job for further confirmation!

I am quite earthly minded and my memory of His faithfulness sort of fades away as life gets back to normal. I need reminders to be grateful.

One project that has helped me is to journal three things daily I am grateful for. I wish I could say I never miss a day, but I am further along than I ever was in the past, so that counts for something.

If you think you will run out of things to be thankful for, it is SHOCKING how many little things we just do not *see* because it is a lack of habit.

Build the habit of thankfulness and your eyes will be opened to His awesome kindness to us. <click

It is quite possible then, when a real struggles come around {and they will}, you will have a reserve to tap into.

Ann Voskamp has a wonderful resource on building the habit of gratefulness. A lovely list for each month of the year. Some of her suggested are quite interesting. ENJOY.

A Joy/Dare Collection

Today I am linking-up with the following awesome Chickie Girls. Stop by and maybe join us! At least take a look at some of the other fantastic places linked there!