Make the Choice to Stay in a Thankful Mindset

Make the Choice to Stay in a Thankful Mindset

Posted on by Michele Morin

Every fall, when I plant the garlic, I am overcome with awe. Somehow, those small, pale bulbs not only survive a Maine winter in the ground with nothing but a blanket of earth and dry leaves. They actually flourish and start sending up green shoots in early spring, long before I would dare to plant a single seed in the garden.

Time for awe and gratitude is one great gift of gardening. Busy hands leave space for thinking, and those empty mental parentheses mean I get to decide what I’m thinking about. I could worry about things outside my control—or I can spend the time thanking God for the fiery red Virginia creeper and the rusty orange of fading marigolds. 

Lately, I’ve been following the example of Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet who watched the nation of Israel disintegrate before his very eyes. In Lamentations, he records the morbid details around the sacking of Jerusalem and the devastation of siege warfare: 

  • Lamentations 1 — The Lord is punishing Jerusalem for her serial idolatry. 
  • Lamentations 2 — Yes, it is time to lament the sin, the death, and the loss. 

Then, twenty verses into Lamentations 3, Jeremiah turns a corner and makes a choice. He leaves his mental parentheses open just long enough for an act of the will, and, shutting out the evidence for despair that lies all around him, he “calls to mind” a new thought that gives him hope:

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
 ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in him.’

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.”  (Lamentations 3:21-26)


The beauty of this poetic tribute to God’s faithfulness is heightened by its context.  To intentionally call to mind images of gratitude in the midst of peace and prosperity is one thing, but it takes a sinewy faith to summon them when chaos reigns and the future looks bleak.

To intentionally call to mind images of gratitude in the midst of peace and prosperity is one thing, but it takes a sinewy faith to summon them when chaos reigns and the future looks bleak.

Jeremiah is setting the table for a discussion on gratitude that casts me in a rather unfavorable light. For even with the benefit of resurrection power and New Testament instructions to “give thanks in all circumstances,” I struggle to stay in a thankful mindset.

Call Blessing to Mind

The prophet’s repetition of the word “wait” describes his own plight while also tweaking our privileged twenty-first-century impatience. However, the distance between today’s desire and its future fulfillment is also a parenthesis, and it’s a good place from which to call blessing to mind. 

So, while I clean up the remains of an expired garden, I will use that time to notice the tiny changes to the landscape brought on by cold nights and windy afternoons. I will begin small by thanking God for the beauty inherent even in bleakness. 

Then, I will call to mind the laughter that accompanies family gatherings; the sound of Handel’s Messiah playing and the warmth of a fire in the woodstove; my husband’s smile of appreciation when he’s enjoyed a meal I’ve prepared; the encouraging texts that come at just the right time.

Then, I will call to mind the disappointments of the year, the times when God has said no unexpectedly, and the occasions when He has chosen to heal, but not in this lifetime, for this is the lesson of Lamentations:  By faith, we can lean into gratitude for what has been given while at the same time waiting quietly and holding loosely our desire for all that has been withheld. 

Gratitude is an enduring gift that seeks beauty in every season. It is the solid pathway under our feet, and it is the conduit of blessing when, by grace, we call it to mind.

What about you? What is your most imposing obstacle to gratitude in this season of the year? 
In this season of life?
What can you “call to mind” that will change your perspective, usher in hope, and make way for gratitude?

Gratitude is an enduring gift that seeks beauty in every season. It is the solid pathway under our feet, and it is the conduit of blessing when, by grace, we call it to mind

Holding You in the Light,

Prepare for Thanksgiving with this New YouVersion Devotional!

I’ve got a new devotional plan ready for you on the YouVersion app just in time for Thanksgiving. Click HERE to start this five-day plan. I pray it will prepare your heart for this glorious season of gratitude. (There’s a good reason why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!)

Have You Read the Latest Newsletter?

On the third Thursday of every month, I send a newsletter with biblical encouragement straight to my subscribers’ email inboxes. Frequently, I share free resources, and the newsletter is where all the news lands first.

CLICK HERE to read my most recent newsletter, where you’ll be given the opportunity to subscribe. My goal is to help you on the path of becoming a confident follower of God and a student of His Word.

I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. If you should decide to purchase any of the books or products I’ve shared, simply click on the book title, and you’ll be taken directly to the seller. If you decide to buy, I’ll receive a few pennies at no extra cost to you.

Unknown's avatar

Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

29 thoughts on “Make the Choice to Stay in a Thankful Mindset”

  1. Eighteen years ago my family embarked on a gargantuan project buying and subdividing a 14 acre property with a 2 acre pond. It seemed impossible to achieve. So many obstacles. But we really believed it was what we were supposed to do. When it looked as though it just was not going to happen, God gave me Jeremiah 33:3 – Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.

    This is the interpretation from the ASV and it’s the only version that uses the words ‘and difficult’ but that was the word God wanted me to see.

    All these years later, when a trial or crisis rears up, I say these words and I know that God has it and I cannot be more grateful.  

    Like

    1. That sounds like a HUGE project, and one that could spell trouble and strained relationships for all the collaborators. I’ve never heard the verse rendered in that way either, but when things are difficult, THAT’S when we need to know who to call on!

      Like

  5. Having been diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease 7 years ago and still being med free with no progression in the disease, keeps things in perspective. I am grateful every day for the things I am able to do, especially knowing this might not always be the case.

    Like

  7. A timely reminder, Michele, to be intentional in counting our blessings and in giving thanks to the One who is Faithful and True.

    Like

  8. I can’t imagine being in Jeremiah’s sandals. I’ve felt low in much better circumstances than his. Yet somehow when all is stripped away, we see some things much more clearly. What a comfort that, no matter what’s going on, we have the bedrock foundation of God’s love.

    Like

  9. Dear Jeremiah–preaching for thirty years to no avail, suffering persecution for doing what God told him to do. How dare I grumble, or worse yet, withhold gratitude, because circumstances aren’t unfolding quite the way I’d like?! You’ve got me thinking, Michele, that if we put into place the habit of gratitude when things are going well, we’ll be ready to respond like Jeremiah when difficulty erupts: calling to mind our reasons to hope, affirming the love, mercies, and faithfulness of God who blesses us at all times. Otherwise the default will likely be self-pity and discouragement. (Lord, keep me mindful!)

    Like

  10. I try to stay in a thankful mindset; my sentence a day posts where I list one thing I am thankful for each day helps since I write them day by day.

    Like

  11. “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.” I love those words as earlier this morning I read Habakkuk 3:17-19. May I always make the choice to remain faithful and hope-filled in the Lord.

    Like

  12. Wonderful, timely message, Michele. The time change seems to have hit me hard this week and I haven’t been feeling like myself as much. But on my birthday, which was yesterday, I “called to mind” how grateful I am to be here to celebrate this day. Not to be dramatic, but to acknowledge what God has done in my life these last many months. Being intentional about being thankful has been so helpful.

    Like

    1. I don’t think you’re being dramatic at all. You’ve had a lot going on and have had a front row seat to God‘s faithfulness. It encourages me to see you finding your way to gratitude.

      Like

Leave a reply to Journey of FAITH Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.