Focus on Gratitude as a Choice in the Moment
By: Linda Shenton Matchett
Five years ago, after months of treatment that wreaked havoc on my body, test results indicated I was cancer free. Gratitude seemed too tame a word. Someone who is usually stoic, I wept in relief. If anyone had asked, I’d have said I was overjoyed, thrilled, elated, ecstatic, euphoric – any number of similar adjectives.
Quarterly scans followed the first year, then semi-annual during the second year, until I graduated to an annual scan. Each test came back negative (which ironically is a positive thing). I went about my business.
Three days after my second annual scan, I received a call from my oncologist that the cancer had returned.
Gratitude During the Trials
Feeling sucker punched, I railed at God. I had plans, and they most certainly didn’t include another round of chemotherapy and radiation. Nights were the worst. Treatments caused insomnia, so I’d lie awake as worst-case scenarios washed over me. Depression eventually replaced the anger, but I put on my “game face,” determined to handle the diagnosis on my own. I finished treatment and returned to work, declaring, “It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
Little did I know.
In March of this year, a spot showed up during my PET scan. Large enough not to ignore. Test results confirmed what I already knew in my heart. The monster was back. But this time, I didn’t argue. I accepted. However, I didn’t feel any gratitude. Not yet.
But God. The best words in the Bible.
He put three people in my path who exemplified gratitude, all while immersed in difficult, life-altering situations. I watched them and was convicted about where I was in my faith walk – spoiler alert: not where I should have been.
But when God Rewards All Thoughts In Total Unity Directed Effectively, we start to see His work in our lives and receive the rewards for our GRATITUDE.
Inspiration for the Gratitude Journey
So, I poured over my Bible looking up every verse that mentioned gratitude or thankfulness. Turns out there are more than two hundred, but I Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB) is the one that struck me the most: “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” There’s also Philippians 4:6 that Paul wrote from prison. Surely, he of all people had a right to be ungrateful. Instead, he penned, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
What have I learned? Gratitude is an act of obedience to our Lord who saved us. A choice I make as a follower of Jesus. Ouch. Point taken. But God (there it is again) gives me the tools (His word, prayer, and fellow believers) to help me make the choice. And when I do the emotion of gratitude follows.
I recently found a post on a church website that suggested taking a moment three times during each day (in the morning before getting out of bed, lunch time, and evening before falling asleep) to name three things you’re grateful for. To say them out loud and write them down. Share them with a friend or loved one. The post ended by quoting Colossians 2:6-7 “…continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Join the Conversation
Are you in a difficult place right now? Are you struggling with gratitude? How do you think implementing the suggestion above will change you? Can you list three things for which you’re grateful? If they’re too personal, consider jotting them down.
Leave a comment and share your story. Another reader might need to hear what you have to say.
Grab a journal or record a voice memo and finish this sentence: “One thing I genuinely appreciate about _____ is _____.” Then write them a note. Short is fine. Send it this week.
About Linda
Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state, immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors, and drinks copious amounts of tea. Visit her at http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com
