Grit + Grace = Gratitude
The month of gratitude is upon us and sometimes if we are honest, we can struggle to be genuinely grateful. Life might not look ANYTHING like we thought it would. It is then that we realize we need something more. Grit + grace = gratitude when we press in to Jesus no matter what life brings.
The daily grind can bare down on us all and cause us to lose perspective. The hard places in this life can deter legitimate gratitude because the hard places become our focus more than God’s presence in the midst of those difficult circumstances.
Don’t let those words pass you by without letting them sink in.
What is your focus? Let God’s presence fill you right now in that place.
Cozy up with a blanket and a cup of tea or jo, whichever you prefer, and my prayer is that this post brings refreshment to your soul.
Grit + Grace = Gratitude in the Grind
It would be during my 6th bout with Pneumonia that I would earn the compliment from my husband that this naturally timid soul never thought she would hear. “You’ve got grit.” I felt pretty gritty at that moment. Puking, barely able to walk, and struggling to breathe. But God.
There I was, barely hanging on, but I was holding the hem of Christ’s robe tenaciously. As I would rise from my hospital bed to write a Scripture on the board, I used up all of my strength.
But suddenly, as I pushed myself to function, I found myself grateful for the little things. The former complaints were buried in joy for the smallest achievements.
A fresh perspective is born when all that came easily to us no longer does. Things we took for granted we are now grateful for.
Grit + Grace = Sight to the Blind
If it is not the daily grind that makes it hard to be grateful, it might just be the constant little things that bug us. Oh, like the aches and pains of this life as we age. Not that I am acknowledging this fact in my life. 😳
Ok, living is just plain hard some days, whether one is navigating pain or incessant demands or hardship in some form or fashion. We were promised problems in this world, after all.
But enduring life’s pains with grit by God’s grace helps to open our eyes when we consider that we get to experience all of life—the blessings and the hard places—because of this precious gift of life.
Life is not good just when things go our way. It is an incredible gift each and every day. In the pain, in the grief and sorrow, and in the immense joy we experience. It is a roller coaster ride, y’all, but when we get to ride it with Jesus, we can navigate life with joy in knowing God is with us through it all.
Grit + Grace = Perseverance
Friends, grit is the perseverance that Paul talked about in Romans 5:3-5:
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Glorying in our sufferings requires us to see the bigger picture. We are not alone. Our God is near. So when something happens that is hard, we know that none of it is wasted. When we despair and doubt God’s goodness, we do not persevere well, friends.
Real gratitude is not found in this life alone but in this life with the One. Press into Jesus and His word. Press in and watch what God can do in our messes. Grit does end up making a pearl after all . . .
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To help you in your endeavor to raise godly children and knit their hearts closely to yours, my team and I have put together a wonderful resource. Doing things with our children helps to bring the Gospel message to bear in their lives.
Our new book, Mommy and Me: Cooking with Jesus is filled with fun recipes to cook and enjoy together for all ages, along with Scriptures to meditate on and devotions to remind us of what matters most: drawing near to God in every day life.
Missed one of the Bible time lives? No problem! Check it out on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/denisepass_seeingdeep