Giving thanks

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” – Psalm 100:4

When I was at Hi-ba camp a couple of months back, I had the chance to sit down with one of my friends to just talk about life. We’d become pretty good friends over the course of our junior year, but we’d never really had the time or occasion to just talk. It started out as just an “update me on your life” kind of conversation but it quickly turned into a deeper conversation about our past experiences and how it shapes our perception of the world now. In that time, he made me realize that I had so much to be thankful for that I just took completely for granted.

I didn’t always have friends that I could talk to or hangout with. And now, as my conversation with this friend proves, I do. I have been blessed with a close group of friends who support, care, and love me as I do them. It’s really a blessing and I am so so thankful to the Lord for surrounding me with such great people. Yet, in the midst of my everyday tasks, it never crosses my mind to pause and give thanks.

I started with Psalm 100: 4 because I realized that I never really thought twice about what it was really saying. Giving thanks: It sounds unbelievably easy, but it’s a difficult task to execute. Why? Because it requires pause and reflection. When you’re constantly running towards a goal in front of you, you forget to look back to see how far you’ve come. It’s not a bad thing to be looking forward. In fact, it’s probably healthier for you to be looking forward. But every once in a while, it’s important to look back and see where you’ve been – to reflect on how far you’ve come.

So today, I choose to thank the Lord: for my friends who make mundane tasks more exciting, for my family that support me as I pursue my interests, and for this life that I’ve been fortunate enough to have.

I encourage you all to take some time in thanks! It’s really amazing what a 10 min pause from the hurricane of work can do for you :))