I am so ungrateful! Learning to Find Gratitude

As I have aged, I have admitted to many of my shortcomings. However I never believed ungratefulness would be included in my mix of faults. Like the well raised child that I am, I always show my gratefulness through an old fashioned “please” and “thank you”. Of course, when I want something really bad and I get it I will always make sure to show my appreciation.

Well, we are all about self-awareness on this blog and when God shows you something about yourself, you better listen.

And listen I did.

The Human Flaw

I was thinking about all of the unanswered prayers I was waiting on God to deliver. And I am sure many of us have been there.

“God I want another job. Please deliver me from this place.”

“Lord, why haven’t you brought my children back to you?”

“Jesus, why am I always struggling from pay check to pay check? I’m doing everything right!”

The list of petitions never end. I believe that humans have a detrimental ability to always focus on what is going wrong.

That is not to say it is an intentional choice. Problems tend to be…louder than what is going right. In our quest for perfection, the blemishes of our life will always stand out like a stain on a crisp white shirt.

Unfortunately, I am no stranger to this flaw in human programming.

As I was meditating on my current unanswered prayers I started to think about my current situation and everything I wish God would have done differently. Soon, I found myself disgruntled and disappointed with God.

And no, you do not have to remind me that God is not a genie, and “everything in His timing” or my personal favorite, “You just have to trust Him.” None of these statements are wrong but I have been in the church long enough to where these thoughts are the first line of defense before I find myself in a downward spiral.

Stop being ungrateful!

Later in the day, I was watching YouTube while writing episode 1 of the Joy, Love, & Positivity series when I came across a video on disappointment with God by Journey With Kiki. At a certain point in the video, she made a point that made everything click for me.

“I’m living in an answered prayer”

Her struggles were a result of her previous prayers. God had listened and he delivered. He gave her the benefits and the consequences of that prayer and she was experiencing the reality of her petition.

I was the exact same way! The majority of the problems I faced were, in hindsight, the consequences of prayer requests. My job, my relationships, my spiritual life, and so much more. I am so much further along than I was just a year ago. Yet, instead of enjoying how far God has brought me, here I go again asking for more.

…and more

…AND MORE!

Instead of resting in a place of gratitude, I continue to judge the blessing and everything that comes with it. With a mindset like that, I will never be joyful or content.

Moving in a Spirit of Gratefulness

So today, and moving forward, I aim to make more of an effort to appreciate what I have. I said this before, and I will say it again:

I am blessed

If you have found yourself in a similar situation of constantly crying out without stopping to appreciate all that God has already done, that this is your wake up call. This is not a place of shame but a space of learning. So let us learn to be more thankful, grateful, and aware of all that God has done for us even when our circumstances seek to deny God His glory.

With Love,

The Road Writer