When my wife and I began fostering, we could never have imagined the pain and reward we would experience. After 13 years of marriage and coming to the realization that we could not have children on our own, we began to think seriously about adoption. Four years later, we have two beautiful children that we have been able to adopt. Honestly though, the road has been full of fear and uncertainty.
You would think that after such a voyage, we would feel nothing but bliss and nirvana every time they speak or we look into our children’s eyes. The truth is, our children drive us nuts sometimes! They still disobey, pop our personal bubbles, and fight with each other.
It’s amazing that in the middle of the mess, we can so easily forget the incredible blessing that our two children are. Life is full of moments like that. I happen to believe, though I don’t always nail it, that when we champion gratitude, our whole perspective on life changes.
To be grateful, we must be able to recall God’s faithfulness to memory. You may need to keep a journal or put Post-its on your mirror.
Every year for Thanksgiving, we practice this recollection when we go around the table and voice our thankfulness. I’ve always found so much power in those moments and wondered why we need a holiday to recall the everyday miracles in front of us.
In Matthew 15, we see Jesus giving thanks to God before multiplying a few loaves and fishes to feed thousands. I’m not sure that the overwhelming scope of the crowd combined with the hilarious shortage of food would have culminated in me giving thanks. I most likely would have run for the hills!
We need to begin to see what’s in our hands as a gift and find a way to make sure the faithfulness of God is easy to recall. When you are able to look back to the track record of God’s faithfulness, you will be able to look forward to the unseen miracle. ■
