Great Gratitude

Psalm 100:4
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good. His mercy is everlasting,and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 103:1-2
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless His Holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

Psalm 119:133
Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.

Good place to put your tent pegs down....
A place where gratefulness and thankfulness are the focal points for our day.
To let our minds be directed toward God and not on our own "stuff".
Do you remember how miserable you were, or maybe still are, when you allowed your thoughts to focus on what you did not have?
When every thought, when faced with the idea of recovery, was on what you had to give up?

"I have to give this up."
"I can't go to this place anymore."
"I won't be able to hang out with these people anymore."
And on and on and on....the thoughts just piled up in your head.
You became bitter..
You became angry...
And when the first hard thing came along...
Or a possibility that you could use reared its ugly head...
You jumped on it and took the A train straight out of Dodge.

This is the reason we need to be aware of where we allow our thoughts to drift off to. I need to stay anchored in the reality of everything I have to be grateful for. I need to even draw up on paper a "grateful" list. Remembering such things as what I'm grateful for helps to keep me focused on the positive aspect of my recovery.
It's o.k.!
Be grateful for the silliest of things....
1.) That first cup of coffee in the morning...
2.) The cool side of the pillow...
3.) The way the clothes smell after they come out of the dryer.
4.) The taste of a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
5.) Waking up every morning, and being able to roll out of bed.
6.) Friends...I mean real friends. Not my using buddies.
7.) The fact that I still have most of my mental capabilities and can think and reason. That drugs and alcohol didn't destroy all my brain.
8.) The ability to still move around and exercise.
And the biggest one of all to be thankful for....

9.) That God did not, nor will He ever, give up on me.
I could write a list from now till Christmas and still not scratch the surface of all the things I have to be grateful for.
I guess the bottom line for today is not to let the pressures and problems of THIS day, destroy your hope and gratitude. If I can hang on to them, just for this day, I am setting up my tomorrow.
I am learning to live my life one day at a time.

So don't let those people who are all mully-grubby bring you down by their ungratefulness.
Don't let their self-pity party affect you.
Just because they are having the party...
Just because they invited you....
Doesn't mean you have to attend.

See you tomorrow!
God on you...
mb