A Heart of Gratitude: Gratitude in the Hard Times

During the Great Depression times were hard for the entire country.  Many families did not know where or when they may work again or where the next meal was coming from.

While times and circumstances have changed, there are still days when life is hard.

I remember one season where I waited for four years to move on and find a better situation and job. There were days when I grew angry and screamed at the Lord.  Then after I began my “dream job” I realized it was not all I thought it was.  That job ended suddenly less than a year later, but this time instead of being angry, I praised the Lord.  Two months later I had a job that was a better fit for my personality and situation.

Waiting can be extremely true when we are in a season of waiting for change.  That change can be a variety of things:

  • A new job
  • To move
  • To meet our future spouse
  • To sell our house
  • To buy a car
  • To pay off debt
  • To lose weight
  • To overcome an illness or health issue

I’m sure I could go on and on with the list.

Are you waiting on God?

During these times, it is very difficult to become discouraged and frustrated at  how

stagnate our life has become.  We begin to wonder if God has forgotten us and why we are still waiting.

This is especially true when the need grows from a day to a week to a month to six months to a year to two years to five years to maybe even ten years {I hope not}.

Only in hindsight can we often  understand the reasons why we had to wait and the lessons the Lord taught us along the way.

In the situation I shared earlier, my situation was the same both times but my mood was different.  The second time I chose to praise God in the difficulty instead of question Him.  Don’t get me wrong, I still had moments of doubt, depression and questioning but I kept my eyes on the Lord throughout the process.

Where do you gain your strength?

In Psalm 28:7 David reminds us “The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.”

So, when times grow difficult and we think we cannot go on let’s remember that the Lord is our strength and shield.  We can turn to Him and tell Him how we feel.  That may not change our circumstances but it may change our mood.

Do you show gratitude in the hard times?

 

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