An Attitude of Gratitude

Some days are there to just teach us that we need to depend on God. To remind me I am nothing without him. Yesterday was such a day. I'm glad its over and I am ready for today.

Day 23: Love Always Protects

Remove anything that is hindering your relationship, any addiction or influence that's stealing your affections and turning your heart away from your spouse.

This got me thinking. When does my heart start to turn away from my spouse? It is when I start to focus on what he is lacking instead of his many good qualities. When I am in an "attitude of gratitude" frame of  mind, I have hope. This is what I need to start the healing process. It is so easy to slip in the quagmire of despair when I loose site of what blessings I have been given. The many tender mercies the Lord gives me to remind me he is there and cares about me. I think Satan loves it when I focus on the negative. Then I am more open to destroying the family unit. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of that. He has already had to much pleasure at our families expense.

I think gratitude is a vital ingredient in Step 2. Believing that God can restore us to complete spiritual and emotional health. When we are grateful we open ourselves up to what God has in store for us. When we are ungrateful we are shutting him out of our life. Yesterday, I slipped back into my old pattern of trying to control my husband. I didn't like myself. That isn't who I want to be. That isn't who I am going to be. I had to let go and let God. Then I started to feel hope and gratitude. But when I was in the funk I felt awful and dark. I love these steps. They help me to stay focused and get out of my funky mood more quickly.

So today I am going to be grateful for everything God has given me. There is a reason for it all.