Sweeten Up Life

I usually like to decorate my house for the seasons, especially since moving to Florida where we don’t actually have a change of seasons! So, at least with decorating, I get to experience the change of seasons inside my home.

For spring, I decorated with a lot of pinks & florals, but for summer I’m going with bright yellow florals and lemons which are a popular theme right now. Lemons are fun because of their bright color and the idea of them makes you think of cold lemonade on a hot summer day. At least I do! I also have a few decorative chalkboards in my home that I like to add fun chalk art to. I’m no artist, but it’s a fun and creative outlet for me in the midst of life’s busyness.

Yesterday, my two boys and I were sharing all the lemon puns and quotes we could think of so I could pick one to draw on the chalkboard. One of our favorites is, “Squeeze the day!” Get it? Instead of Seize the Day??!! I know, corny, but it’s cute! In looking for quotes, I came upon one I had never heard and really like: ”When life gets sour, sweeten it with gratitude.”  We decided to go with this one for our chalkboard, because it’s so true, and a principle I actually try to live by.

Sometimes life does bring sour things our way, yet gratitude helps us to not become sour along with those things! Gratitude is an attitude of being thankful and actually affects everything else in our lives. The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7).” It can be tempting to dwell on the negative things life brings our way, yet when we choose to focus on what we’re thankful for instead, we won’t be overcome by negativity.

Gratitude is a choice. It’s remembering the goodness of God in our lives, and this is actually a form of worship. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

So gratitude is a part of worship, and worship not only blesses God, but causes the very atmosphere around us to change. And isn’t this what we need when facing negative things in our life? God inhabits, or dwells in the midst of our praise and worship, and it’s His very Presence that will transform our lives. I’ve seen this countless times in my own life. So, I like my little chalkboard reminder, and I pray that if you’re facing some sour things right now, you too would be reminded of the power gratitude has to sweeten up life.