Mom Heart Moments #348

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

MANY YEARS AGO, as a young, idealistic mama, I wanted to give my children all the best experiences, opportunities, toys, and things we all feel pressured to provide for our families. When we started Whole Heart Ministries, though, we moved to a tiny town of 712 people, where we lived with my mother-in-law and got by on a negligible salary for several years.

Shopping at Goodwill was a necessity, and I couldn’t give the children many things. But living in the country with lots of space to roam and lots of time together as a family is probably the best thing that could have happened to my children. Because we did not have lots of toys, they learned to pretend, create stories, make up games, read lots of books, play with animals, and generally keep themselves busy.

Because there was not even an option to have lots of things, they became content with what they had. I was the only one who had any idea that they might be missing out. There was no possibility to be constantly entertained because we did not have lots of electronic gadgets. There were few neighbors nearby to make them wish for toys they did not have.

Working, delaying gratification, sharing, patiently waiting for their turn . . . all of these were the ways God built thankfulness into my children’s hearts. I was not smart enough to choose this purposefully for my family, but God in His wisdom knew just what my children needed to build character, and He gave us just the right circumstances to train them!

This week, every day, notice the things that God has provided. Breathing thankfulness into your days creates a great pattern for life and helps you become more satisfied with what He has given.