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Johann Stoltz writes by email:
With everything that is happening around us, it is sometimes very difficult to be thankful.
A couple of years ago I made the decision to find just one thing to be thankful for.
Living with an incurable disease can sometimes make it very difficult to live a thankful life, not even talking about living in a world filled with hatred, poverty and crime.
So I, being a complainer of note, realised one night during my devotional time that even with Parkinson’s Disease, I have so much to be thankful for.
Why do I say this?
Well, think about it.
Every day we experience the greatest miracle of all, which is the gift of life.
If there is anything that we all can be thankful for, it is the free gift of life.
Every single day we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.
If you have a roof over your head, then you have something to be thankful for.
Thousands of people don’t have that privilege.
If you have family, then you have something to be thankful for.
If you have a job, you have something to be thankful for.
Many people don’t have a job.
In this selfish pessimistic society, it would make such a big difference if people just for one day would choose to live a life of thankfulness.
How many of us complain about institutions like the police and almost never say thank you for the work that they do?
Let’s stop all the unnecessary complaining and start being thankful.
Sure there are sometimes legitimate reasons for complaining, but lets not fall into the trap of becoming serial complainers.
Let’s stop taking everything for granted and let’s choose to be thankful.
One of my favourite rock bands, Nickelback, puts it straight forward in one of their songs, singing: “each day is a gift and not a given right”.
Life is such a precious gift and our time on earth is too short, to be in constant complaining mode.
So, my challenge to you is instead of being grumpy about everything in life, look around and find something to be thankful for.
Life is short and it is a gift of grace.
Also read: What are you thankful for?
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