Give Thanks

Life is made up of moments.

Sometimes, ordinary moments don't seem very important.Those moments of brushing my teeth, making toast, walking down the stairs, changing the channel on the tv--they pass me by, and I don't stop to appreciate them. But the truth is, those are the moments that are most abundant in life. How is it that I can let most of the moments of my life pass by without me even noticing them?

I only notice the exciting times. The times where I'm doing things that are out of the ordinary. Those are the only moments I stop to thank God for. And I truly am blessed to have really memorable moments. But those are actually the smallest part of life.

But the apostle Paul says give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Give thanks in all circumstances. The good times, the bad times, and all the in between times. If I'm not thankful for every single day of my life, if I fail to be grateful for every breath God gives me, then the beauty of the gift of life is wasted on me. It is God's will that I would give thanks in every circumstance, even if some moments don't seem important. It's a hard truth to swallow that any moment of any day could be the moment in which I take my last breath. I don't say this to be negative. I say it because it's true, and it's something most of us don't really accept. We know it in our heads. But we don't know it in our hearts; we don't live better and fuller lives because of it.

If I am going to truly appreciate my life, I must learn to give thanks even in those moments that seem boring, ordinary, and unimportant; to let God have those moments and use them the way He wants. It's God's will.

I don't want to think of ordinary moments as unimportant moments anymore. It's time for me to learn how to appreciate every single breath--to give thanks in all circumstances.