“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
Today was an ordinary day without fanfare or drama, but I was excited and celebrating anyway. My joy came from having a low-key day at home with Famous after a worrisome day with him having six teeth extracted due to his extensive periodontal disease. My experience of having four impacted wisdom teeth extracted a couple of decades ago only led to my concerns. Then when I heard that two of his teeth had to be “drilled out”, I truly had speculated he would have a difficult time in his recovery.
To my delight and joy he seemed to do well even the next day with minimal signs of any discomfort. A low dose of pain medication prescribed by his veterinarian made him comfortable enough to take his regular walks with ease and equal enthusiasm. And his appetite returned almost immediately! He still has to finish his course of antibiotics and be mindful of sutures in his mouth, but we have made it through the first twenty-four hours with unexpected ease.
Today gave me plenty of moments for gratitude. This is the response we should all nurture in our hearts–being thankful in all things. We should find the things in life which we know to be gifts from God and celebrate them. Circumstances change from day to day, but the love of God remains constant even we find it difficult to understand or accept them. In Christ, God has given us the opportunity for eternal joy, and He is pleased when we devote ourselves to living and sharing our faith in him.
Today I will stop to open my heart to gratitude.
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