I wonder if you know anyone who, when you ask them how they are, says, “Oh, I mustn’t complain,” and then they proceed to complain for the next ten minutes?

I am sure I do that sometimes – if not in those exact words at least in spirit. I think we can all tend towards it because the difficult things we face in life can dominate our perspective and fill our horizon. Perhaps anthropologists have an explanation that relates to the need to focus on problem-solving in order to survive, I don’t know. I am not suggesting that we ignore our problems and difficulties like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand*.

But today I am remembering someone who when you asked him how he was would say, “Oh, I mustn’t complain.” And then he wouldn’t. If you pressed him he would say, “I have a lot to be thankful for.”

And that is incredible because if anyone had a lot to complain about he did. He suffered with a lot of debilitating health problems but he coped with them by refusing to focus on them, but instead focused on the good things in his life, the things for which he was grateful. And it wasn’t just words because if you asked he would have a ready list of things for which he was grateful.

He genuinely had an attitude of gratitude.

And what’s more, because of his faith in Jesus he had someone to be grateful to! The Bible is full of moments when people express thanks to God, but sometimes we forget don’t we?

What are you thankful for today? Make those things your focus and see how that changes things.

Be blessed, be a blessing.

*There’s no evidence that ostriches do put their head in the sand. Apparently they put their heads on the ground to listen for approaching trouble and from a distance it looks like they are burying their head in the sand…