As my wife and I were coming closer to our wedding date, as a part of our engagement process, the preacher who performed our wedding ceremony would regularly share wisdom and insights for our future together. One of the powerful gems he shared was, "As you live and grow together, make it a habit to express your appreciation to one another."
Over a decade later, I can now see the truth and benefit of his wisdom. And while I have not always lived up to it, there is a tremendous blessing in making it a habit of being thankful and appreciative; not just in marriage, but in life.
Every aspect of our lives can use more thanks and gratefulness. Habits are addictive practices that are formed over a period of time through repeated acts.
How differently would you approach life if you expressed more gratitude than frustration? A sink full of dishes really means that not only do you have a house to live in but you have had food to eat. An empty tank in your car means that you're not walking from destination A to destination B. Having limited closet space shouldn't be a point of aggravation, but an intersection of gratitude and servitude (give some of the clothes away!). Loud children running around simply means that you were able to birth them and there were no miscarriages or tragedies.
Quite candidly, we have shortchanged ourselves by only focusing on gratitude, thanksgiving, and appreciation when November rolls around. In many cases, we have disrespected God by saying that we're thankful when in reality we have only focused on ourselves and our bellies...
