By: Lauren Farmer
I was out with my parents last weekend and we went to a new furniture store to see what they had to offer. Of course, I am just looking around and have no intention of purchasing anything because I’m a college student and furniture costs real money. However, something caught my eye as we were finishing our look around the second floor. There was a plaque on the wall that read “Grace and Gratitude” and it immediately resonated with me. To my surprise, it cost less than $20, so I decided to buy it because I needed that message as a daily reminder.
This entire week, I have been overthinking what to say about my faith and my God. When I woke up this morning, I was sitting up in my bed thinking and I looked over and saw the plaque. I knew that was what I could speak about because it encompasses my current season with God. There is so much going on in the world and in my life right now. It has been very easy for me to forget about the grace that God has been covering me with this season and all of my life. It is also easy to lose my gratitude because sometimes, you have to make the deliberate decision to be grateful when there doesn’t appear to be a plethora of good things happening. However, I am always reminded by the Holy Spirit to take a few moments to think about the Lord and remember that He is still present with me every step of the way. I am reminded that once I shift my focus from myself to God, I am alleviated of the pressure to be perfect and accomplished and for that I am grateful. Grace assures me that I am free to grow in my own timing and that I can fall and get back up as many times as I need. It assures me that my faith in God for things is beautiful and desired by Him. I am grateful for grace because it’s by grace that I am saved and have a relationship with Jesus. I am grateful for grace because it comes from a loving God that loves me enough to withhold no good thing from me. I am thankful for grace and gratitude because they are the two things that keep me looking to Jesus for help, healing and wholeness. Living a life of gratitude and grace makes all the difference in the quality of life we will have. Instead of simply taking what is given, I challenge all of us to see the silver lining and blessing in everything because I can assure you that there always is one.
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