“The last of human freedoms – the ability to choose one’s attitude, especially an attitude of gratitude in a given set of circumstances, especially in difficult circumstances.” Viktor Frankl
So many times we are looking for the good things in life, the things that make life comfortable. We are a ‘grass is always greener on the other side’ kind of people. We sacrifice simple moments for the fun and exciting. We are always wanting to be entertained. We forget about community. We forget about relationships. We forget about challenging ourselves because we like being comfortable.
We have a lot to be thankful for this year at VidaNet. For example, we have groups signing up for Vida Missions, a group of staff that work together as family, and a Vida220 school in progress. We are even about to make the last payment on the Costa Rica property! Life is good so we should give thanks, right? Absolutely! Praise God when things are going well. But what about when things are not going so well? Do we praise God with thanksgiving then?
Ask yourself this honestly, when something difficult happens in your life, what is your first response to God? “God, why?” or “God, help me!” Do you still praise your Heavenly Father with thanksgiving when you are going through trials? Be honest with yourself now…
Are we ever thankful for the things in life that make it hard? Are we ever thankful for the hard to love people or difficult situations that make us realize just how much we need a savior? We are in a holiday season where we are told to be thankful and many of us, myself included, like to be thankful for the easy things: faith, family, friends, life, [insert your own cliché]. But very rarely are we thankful for that difficult neighbor, the rude customers, or the car that consistently breaks down. These aren’t usually the situations we flaunt in our thanksgiving but they permeate our hearts nonetheless. They create bitterness.
There is a saying that gets passed around a lot during Vida220 and Vida Missions, “attitude is everything” and it is true. When we are thankful for the things in life that make it hard, there is a mental change that takes place from where we used to live and function. Where we used to function in irritation of that difficult neighbor or rude customer, we now see it as a challenge of how much can we love them? We can live in the joy of adversity. James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it pure joy when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
We cannot choose our circumstances but we can choose our attitude. Can we choose an attitude of thankfulness in the midst of and not just in spite of our circumstances?
By Laura Miller
Vida Missions Program Coordinator