1 Practical Way to Amplify Your Gratitude: Collect God-Stories
It wasn’t what we pictured for this season in our life. Not what we’d been praying for, or so we thought.
After selling our home of 15 years, we spent nine months searching and praying for our next one. During a devotional time, God invited me to pray specifically for what we wanted in our next home—a home made for hosting, with lots of natural light, and space for my painting, writing, and recording, as well as a shop where Brandon could build things.
We made offers on a few properties but were always outbid. However, we didn’t get discouraged. We knew that God had a plan for us and we were searching with open hands. At each home we viewed, we prayed for the sellers and buyers, regardless of whether we became the buyers or not. And then, just when we thought we’d exhausted all options, something unexpected caught our attention.
A Prayer Answered in an Unexpected Way
One Sunday afternoon, I stumbled upon a Facebook post from our favorite state park that read “Park Host Wanted.” Brandon and I had always thought being a park host could be fun someday, but we never imagined it would be for us right now. Still, there was something about it that piqued my interest.
We spoke with the park ranger to whom we would be assigned, learned about the responsibilities and requirements, and the ranger said yes. The next step was buying an RV, which was almost as challenging as finding a house. But after a couple of weeks, we found our RV and moved into space #62.
We were excited and incredibly overwhelmed by God’s goodness, but it was a big transition. Our home had shrunk from 2200 square feet to just 360 square feet. If you’ve ever made the bed in a camper, you know.
And even though we’d had confirmation after confirmation that this was God’s plan for us in this season, I knew there might come a time when frustration with the small space and doubt about the decision might try to creep in. Just like the Israelites who sometimes forgot about the miracles God did on their behalf, I didn’t want to get sidetracked by little things and forget what God has done for me. So, I bought a journal and started recording all the God-stories—all those moments of confirmation. Today, the journal is filled with so many sweet reminders for me to draw on.
But the best part is that I haven’t needed the journal. Not once. We love our new life. Our prayers for a home made for hosting have been answered—people come to visit us more now than they ever did in our old house. Our RV has lots of windows and skylights, giving us plenty of natural light, and we get to watch wildlife right outside our windows. I have a studio just two blocks from where I work, and Brandon has full access to the park’s shop, which is bigger and better than his old one.
This home, this life—it isn’t what we thought we were praying for.
It’s better, in so many ways.
And though we’ve never needed the God-stories, I’m so glad I have them and reading them brings me so much joy.
Amplify Your Gratitude by Collecting God-Stories
Friend, may I encourage to you to start collecting your God-stories? More than a simple gratitude list—which I also practice—these testimonies are such a treasure and will deepen your relationship with God in ways you never imagined.
- Recording God’s faithfulness in your life trains you to spot it more easily.
- As you start seeing patterns of His character and kindness, it develops confidence in Him.
- And as you learn to recognize His goodness, your mind begins to operate from a place of gratitude.
May I also leave you with several passages of scripture that encourage us to recount our blessings and remind our souls of His goodness?
- Psalm 103:1-2
- Psalm 105:1-5
- 1 Samuel 12:24
- Psalm 77:11
- Psalm 34:1-3
Meet Rose Jordan
Rose Jordan is the Christian communicator and creative behind Beneath The Fig Tree. She and her husband, Brandon, have been married for almost 29 years and have one son, 28. Her favorite God-assignment is coming alongside women and helping them cultivate a devotional life they absolutely love so they finally experience the tangible, meaningful relationship with God they were created for!
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
10 Things You Might Be Doing That Keep Your Friendships Shallow
(+ 1 Simple Habit to Shift Your Direction)
If you long for deep, meaningful relationships, this is for you!
Creating Ripples
If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.
