Difficulties are inevitable, but complaining is optional.

I’ve heard it said that some people don’t just complain occasionally; they complain recreationally. We all know people who are tethered to negativity. The problem is that negativity and ungratefulness result in faithlessness. You can’t be your best while living in negativity. Some people miss out on being blessed because they are too busy being stressed.

Gratitude brings joy to our life. Happiness is based on what is around us, but joy is based on what is within us. When genuinely grateful, you can move into faithfulness no matter what happens on the outside. 

I came across this great poem that puts gratitude in perspective. Remember these phrases the next time you feel like complaining about something.  

• I am thankful for the mess to clean up after a party because it means friends have surrounded me.
• I am thankful for the income taxes I pay because it means that I’m employed.
• I am thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
• I am thankful for the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
• I am thankful for all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.
• I am thankful for the lady in the next row who sings off key because it means that I can hear.
• I am thankful for the piles of laundry because it means my loved ones are nearby.
• I am thankful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
• I am thankful for my huge heating bill because it means that I am warm.
• I am thankful for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means that I have been productive.
• I am thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.