Because A Grateful Heart Is A Happy Heart

I'm cold, I'm hungry, I'm sick, I'm poor, I'm not gonna get a ton of gifts this year, my side of the fmaily isn't coming for Christmas, me, me, me, I, I, I, I don't have... I can't do... I wish I... woah is me. It's Christmas right? So as everyone is bustling around, stressing out, rushing through, hello- goodbye, don't have time, gotta get, be back soon... what in the world and why the heck are we doing what we're doing? This week being that Christmas is on Thursday and as for our little three bodied family having only one present under the Christmas tree- I got to thinkin' why I'm not happy. My baby girl is sick, our house doesn't have insulation in the attic and we can't afford it so it's ALWAYS cold, my husband works so hard, but we won't be getting much for Christmas because bills come at the beginning of January (like our mortgage!). The reason I've not been happy is because I'm not thankful, I'm not grateful for what we do have. Now I'm NOT writing this to sound pious or feel pity for me or any of that. No, the reson I'm writing this is because the other morning I was reading in Hebrews 13:5,15. The first verse out of the two says that we are to not have a covetous conversation (or basically talking about what we want or don't have ), and the second out of the two says to offer the sacrifice of praise continually. So far- I'm not doing so well. These verses reminded me of the little Veggie Tales song that Junior Asparagus sings- because a grateful heart is a happy heart. I'm not so grateful. Instead of praising the Lord for everything I have been given I'm focusing on the lack of presents underneath the tree and the fact that our daughter is still so sick. So as I look upon our pretty Christmas tree and the one present all solo (for my husband by the way) I'm trying hard to push away the me, me, me and let the Thank You God enter in.
Someone once told me, "Either sin will keep you from this book (the bible) or this bok will keep you from sin." Within this past week I know I haven't read everyday like I want to and probably because I was so ungrateful and that was getting in the way of having a desire to read. But getting back to the Word of God is so good. It's like a mirror showing us the things we might not want to see, but are desperately needing to see. I'm thankful that Jesus forgives us from our sins and that after we've confessed He remembers them "no more". So as the start to the next few days has been a rough and tough lesson- I'm looking forward to enjoying Christmas for the reason it's called such. Christ-mas. It's not about presents and decorations, although those things don't hurt. No, it's about God who came down to be the baby who grew to be the man and died to save us, to save me. So even if I don't open a single present this year I'm thankful for the ones I've already been given. BUT if I happen to get desperate to rip paper and bows I've got plenty of that to do so. :-) Everyone have a very Merry Christmas!