Thankfulness Thursday: What Are You Missing?
Do you ever feel like life is moving so fast that you forget to be thankful? You’re not alone. The truth is, thankfulness is a tricky emotion. It doesn’t always wave its hands and shout—it often whispers softly in the background. And if we’re not paying attention, we can miss it completely.
We live in a world that prizes busyness. There’s always something to do, somewhere to be, and someone who needs our attention. But in the rush of daily life, it becomes easy to miss the very things that God is using to bless us.
It’s easy to miss the quiet stillness of the early morning because we’re already knee-deep in our routine—jumping into the shower, preparing breakfast, packing lunches, and waking everyone up for the day.
It’s easy to miss the birds singing outside your window because your mind is already ahead, thinking about meetings, school runs, or errands.
It’s easy to miss the simple beauty of nature—trees standing tall along the roadside or wildflowers dancing in the summer breeze—because your eyes are fixed on your phone, your calendar, or just the road ahead.
But here’s a gentle reminder: if you’re missing it, you can’t be thankful for it.
Gratitude begins when we slow down and open our eyes to what’s already around us. To be truly thankful, you have to be present and engaged—and that can be one of the hardest things to do in today’s fast-paced world.
But it’s also one of the most important.
God is constantly pouring out gifts into our lives—some big, many small. But all of them are worth noticing. All of them are worth pausing for. All of them are worthy of thanks.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
— Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
Stillness doesn’t come naturally for most of us, but it’s in that stillness where gratitude can take root. When we stop rushing, even for a moment, we allow our hearts to notice what our busy minds overlook.
As Melody Beattie beautifully said:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity… It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
So, on this Thankfulness Thursday, ask yourself: What am I missing today?
And more importantly, what have I been given that deserves a moment of thankfulness?
Take time today to slow down, be present, and truly see. You might be surprised at how many blessings have been right in front of you all along.
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