Blessing is a Mindset
Every night before I go to bed, I take some time to list out all the things I am grateful for that day. At first, the list was small and focused on what went my way. But after staying consistent with this habit, what I’ve found is that I can find gratitude in the things that didn’t go my way. Life is never going to be what you want it to be, but instead, it is exactly what God wants it to be. My kids and I have been through so much change lately. With change comes an opportunity to have a closed heart or an open heart. We never really know what will happen on the other side of these life shifts, and recently, I had a sweet conversation with my son.
My fourteen-year-old is such an amazing kid, but his one area for growth is his ability to be flexible. I get this side of him as I can often be rigid too. This year has been incredibly challenging for him as the dynamic of the home life changed, spring break lasted six months, and suddenly, my kids landed in a private school in an effort to create some normalcy and routine again. I could tell after the 1st day; he was struggling. I try to connect with each of my kids, and this night, I choose to connect with him through a short bible study. We found ourselves in Psalms 144. It starts with David asking God to help him be battle-ready and ends with a tone of declaration.
12 Our sons in their youth will be
like full-grown saplings,
our daughters will be like sculptured pillars
fit for the corner of a palace.
13 Our barns are full with crops of every kind;
the sheep in our fields number thousands, tens of thousands.
14 our oxen are well-fed,
our city walls have no breach,
our people are not taken captive,
and there are no cries of protest in our cities’ open places.
15 How happy the people who live in such conditions!
How happy the people whose God is Adonai!
I used this as an opportunity to show my son how powerful it is to declare success in life. We can focus on the things we don't like about right now or focus on the things we want to see happen. Making a gratitude list helps me see the good and trains my brain to always look for it. This is a lesson I hope to pass to my children, and that night, I hope my words landed on my son's heart. He asked me to pray for him to have a positive mindset about different things and feel uncomfortable.
Can you relate to this?
I’m so grateful for the challenges of my day, and this keeps me focused on the blessings in my life that I would normally miss. At first, what seems insignificant can be an important piece of a bigger picture you haven’t been shown yet. I promise you this; taking time for this will change your life if you let it. Having a growth mindset with an open heart can usher in a life of blessing for you.