There’s a saying out there along the lines of, “what if you woke up only with the things you thanked God for yesterday?” If this were the case, I think a lot of us would wake up without a lot of what we currently have. We are blessed, but how often do we forget this or how often are we blind to all that we have?
Social media and the world around us can easily convince people that they don’t have enough. They don’t make enough money, have a big enough house or an updated enough house, or have enough friends or a good enough family. This comparison mindset leads to people wanting more to try to be satisfied, because they feel as if what they have is not enough. They look at their lives and think, I need more, bigger, better. A few days ago, a few people at work were talking about a house that they saw for sale and mentioned that “the inside must be really outdated by like 12-15 years.” My first thought was if they think 12-15 years is outdated, they should see the original, untouched kitchen cabinets in my mom’s house that was built in the 60s or 70s. Instead of obsessing about keeping up with the latest trends of all white kitchen cabinets and counters, people should be grateful that they have a kitchen. Instead of wanting what the world says you should have, we should be thanking God that we have all we need. God has given us so much, yet how often do we think that it’s just not enough? We should be living in a state of gratitude, always grateful and thankful for the many blessings in our lives. We are blessed.
I am thankful that we have a God who loves us and wants a personal relationship with us, and who gives Himself to us in the Eucharist. I am thankful to have a great family as well as friends and a community of people who care. I am thankful for my Catholic faith and living in the truth, and being able to practice it freely. I am thankful for the people who have inspired me and the people who walk the journey with me. I am thankful for everything I own, my job, and the opportunities I have. This list doesn’t cover everything, but it sums it up and your list likely looks similar. What are you thankful for?
May we live in a spirit of gratitude, not just one day of the year, but every day. My hope is that we realize that with Jesus, we truly lack nothing. And may we always remember we are blessed.
Faith and The Good Stuff 