The topic of gratitude has been such a life journey for me to truly understand. As an adult, and a rooted believer, I’ve grown to understand that gratitude is a way of life. It’s a mindset and heart attitude that prevails no matter the circumstances or time of year.

Even in disappointment, rejoice

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Paul didn’t say “give thanks when you are happy with the circumstance.” No, he said, “Give thanks in ALL circumstances.” I’ll be the first to admit that practicing gratitude through all circumstances can be . . . hard. While the types of experiences change as we go through life, the process of being refined remains the same.

One of the most difficult journeys I’ve ever experienced is the journey of becoming a mother. The journey began with years of disappointment. After pursuing additional fertility supports, and still not having success, I hit full surrender mode. I had to realign my heart and mind to giving thanks in all circumstances. I had to say “no matter what Lord, I am thankful.”

Shortly after I learned to lay it all down, my husband and I discovered that I was expecting. I had overwhelming gratitude that God had heard our prayers and blessed us in this way! Nine months later I rested in my thanksgiving and soaked up the title of “mom.”

A shift in my heart

When we began the process to expand our family, we realized we would need to pursue additional supports. We felt that in spite of some increased obstacles, God gave us the green light to pursue the fertility treatment option for a second time. I began that journey with gratitude that we were able to make it work. I trusted God to provide for us with the help of the doctors.

As I was busy checking off the boxes of all that came with a structured fertility plan, there was a subtle shift in my heart. I was grateful that God was complying with the plan. Did you catch that? No longer was it that my heart was surrendering the plan to God.

The real test of gratitude

And then, the real test of gratitude came. A call from the doctor let us know that everything we were praying for to be able to schedule our next step, was not going to happen. Our carefully crafted world of fertility dreams came crashing down.

As we struggled to pick up the pieces, I had lots of questions. How could a good God allow this to happen? I thought we were doing everything “right.” We felt that God had directed us to pursue medical assistance to expand our family. I wrestled with giving thanks. What was there to be thankful for? I was crushed. I was angry. I was sad. I learned that my sinful heart was only grateful when I got my way. And that my way wasn’t aligned with God’s way.

The road God mapped out for me

God uses circumstances to refine our hearts and to bring us closer to Him. I had to humbly bring myself before the Lord and ask for His forgiveness. I had to renew my closeness with Him as I explored all the things for which I could be grateful. The journey of gratitude had taken a turn around the bend that I hadn’t expected. However, it was the road that God had mapped out for me.

We kept believing that God desired us to expand our family. After three additional years that included the heartache of miscarriage, a journey into getting cleared for adoption and then a natural pregnancy . . . we were gifted with the blessing of our son.

The amount of gratitude I have when I look at my children, especially my youngest, is overwhelming. I wouldn’t understand practicing gratitude in all circumstances if I hadn’t had the opportunity to learn. And, while it has been a hard journey, I can finally say “thank you Lord” with my whole heart each day, in the good and the bad. I trust that the Lord is working something out for my good, at all times, because I have experienced it.

When we practice gratitude and offer thanksgiving to the Lord, we are demonstrating our faith in a good God. Your life matters to the Lord. He may lead you into the Wilderness, but He will also deliver you from it. He simply asks us to remember that he is “a great God” (Psalm 95:3) and to trust in his steadfast love. Join me in practicing daily gratitude to thank God for who he is, what he has done and what we are trusting him to do. It will completely transform you!

Meet Susan Brawley

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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.

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.