There’s a lot of injustice in the world. Between war and famine, violence against women and children, and the depressing state of politics in the UK, it’s so incredibly easy to lose sight of all the good things happening in our lives. That being said, there are a whole host of things to be grateful for and it’s important that we never forget it.
A few years ago, I decided to create what I called a ‘Thank You’ jar. This was literally an empty jar which I used to record all the things I was grateful for throughout the year. Every time something happened in my life that I wanted to give God thanks for, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant, I’d write it on a piece of paper, fold it up and pop it in the jar. When I feel like I haven’t put anything in there for a while, I take some time out to sit down and write down a bunch of things I’m grateful for. It’s a good opportunity to positively reflect, and can be really therapeutic!
At the end of the year, I go through all the little pieces of paper one by one and each of them reminds me of just how good our God really is, and how grateful I am for my life. The Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” – Romans 8:28. There is probably no time this rings truer for me then when I’m looking back over all that God has done for me over the year.
I want to encourage you to start a thank you jar ahead of 2019. You can make it pretty and fancy or keep it super-duper basic, but regardless of the exterior, the most important thing is the contents that will lay inside. You can do this on your own, with your family or even with friends and it’s just a great way of reminding yourself how incredible life is and how each and every one of us is blessed to been given one.
At the end of the year, after reading through all the notes in the jar, I pop them in a sealed envelope with the year written on the front. I’ve figured that a day will come when I open these envelopes up and reminisce on all that God has done for me throughout my life!
Our God is good and his love is unchanging. A thank you jar is a fantastic way to never forget it.
