Everyone was falling apart in the car today… epically complaining  as we were ironically driving to celebrate thanksgiving. Including me.

Thankfulness feels right… it feels like the right response to ridiculously blessed lives. For example, my heart melts when my kids’ friends that came over for a sleep over act all surprised and go on and on just because I made pancakes. I want to be like that. But how?

I believe gratitude is a direct result of our expectations.

But we live so entitled- and our expectations don’t let us be thankful. Expectations almost always demand disappointment.

Paul writes… I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength. Phillipians 4:12-13

But what the heck?! This is one of those mysterious verses that is very quotable but I have no idea how to really make it snap into our souls. So let’s work this out:

No matter our circumstances….

plenty or need. It is the most freeing thing to let everything and everyone be human and flawed.  What if we let the world and all of our people be what they are… imperfect? Broken? Slightly disappointing?

Accepting and expecting brokenness is strangely comforting. People start to surprise us, more than they disappoint us.

And it’s not that Paul had no expectations, he just had the very best expectations in the very best person.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Hebrews 12:28

We are grateful and joyful people because we have such an immovable fantastic hope.

True joy is setting your heart on unmovable objects. There are only two I know of… God and heaven.

I can do all this ( Be thankful) through Christ who gives me strength. An immovable person… an immovable hope… who never disappoints.

Let everything and everyone else off the hook.

What expectations are keeping you from thankfulness?