In Ladies Bible Study we have been studying about David, in particular, his prayer life. However on Wednesday we were looking at how David lived, for the most part, with an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’.
As the Lord taught through me, I challenged the ladies to live their lives with and ‘Attitude of Gratitude’, and then we talked about what that would look like.
I told them that when they look at the mountain of laundry that is waiting to be washed and dried, instead of moaning (out loud or silently), that they thank the Lord for each of their family members that wear the clothes and thank the Lord that they have more than enough clothes.
When faced with a sink overflowing with dishes and pans, instead of feeling dread at the prospect of washing them, give thanks to the Lord. Thank Him whole heartedly for the bounty of food that He has provided for their families, and for the many pans and dishes they have to cook and eat from.
If someone breaks a glass and no one gets hurt, I challenged the ladies to be grateful that no one was hurt and to clean up the mess with a thankful heart.
There was some skepticism about whether in the midst of busy family lives; they would be able to live with an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’. I reminded them that they have lived their lives to this point probably without even thinking of thanking God for laundry, dirty dishes or any of the other myriad of things that call for our attention. They nodded their heads affirming that this was true. Even living here in Thailand, with each lady being from a different country, we still all seemed to share the same struggles.
So I suggested that we were going to have to go about this challenge very deliberately. When situations would come up that would normally have us frustrated or anxious, we would ask God to help us to be thankful. I told them that we could not do this in our own strength, but that we would need the Lord to help us to change our thought patterns. Ultimately if we made it a practice of being thankful we would: Feel less stressed; Be more joyful; Feel more grateful, Feel more peaceful, Feel better inside our heart, Be more attractive for others to want to be around. . .the list goes on.
So, that was Wednesday morning. . .
Wednesday night as we prepared to go to bed, I used the bathroom and flushed the toilet. When I pushed the handle down, nothing happened. My mind automatically went to “Oh no, not at 11:00 at night!” and then it hit me. . .the lesson from earlier in the day. I quickly asked God to help me be grateful in the situation, and He changed my heart. I told Bill about the problem with the toilet and he went to get tools to fix it. While I waited for Bill to return with tools, I thanked God that we have a toilet. I thanked Him that I did not have to use a squat pot, like a lot of people in Thailand do. I thanked Him that I did not have to go outside to dig a hole. You get the idea!
So, instead of feeling upset I felt joyful, thankful and peaceful! Even if Bill could not fix it right away, I was still grateful.
My Mr. Wonderful, Bill, did fix the toilet in just a matter of minutes. Praise God!
So each day I do not know what I am going to wear, but I do know that I will put on an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ each and every day.
As for the Ladies Bible Study group, we will get together this Wednesday and share how our week went with our new attitude.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Care to join us? . . . J I think you will find it worth the effort!
Blessings,
April
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