It’s kinda funny how we all desire to be grateful but at the same time, we all struggle to be grateful.

About 10 days ago I was involved in a car accident.

I have been in a couple of fender-benders in my time, but nothing serious. Nothing serious until 10 days ago.

Dropping my stepson off at school I was heading back home around 7 am. It was a pretty normal Thursday morning. Traffic is always crazy near the school but at this point, I was about a mile and a half away. I was heading down a 2 lane road with only 1 other car, and he was in front of me.

He began to put on his brakes but no blinker. I was confused but was back about 4-5 car lengths. I was going about 45-50 mph at this point. He began to veer to the right, I assumed he was pulling over or going to be turning into a driveway a ways up on the right.

Not wanting to slow down behind him, I decided to go ahead and go around him on his left side.

Apparently, he was not getting over and he was not turning right. As I approach his rear left fender, I realize he was swinging wide to make a left turn into a driveway.

At this point, stopping is not an option. I press the gas and try and steer to the left a little but at this point, I am going to drive in a very deep ditch on the left side of the road.

My vehicle is about halfway past his car and he makes a very sharp left turn into my passenger side. This push caused my vehicle to go into a barrel roll over the driveway and into the ditch.

I rolled 2 times and flipped. I landed on the top of my vehicle in the ditch in an almost upside-down position, laying primarily on the driver’s side.

I was able to walk away from this accident. A few scratches. A few bruises. Nobody got hurt. Nobody.

God has a plan. I believe part of that plan is to help me understand how to be more grateful. Especially in the small things.

I want to share with you today the 3 stages of gratitude. We all desire to be grateful and we all know that we need to be more grateful. But like me, your intentions are just that. Intentions.

Let’s step up our gratefulness game together!

3 Stages of Gratefulness

Mindful Gratitude

Are you being mindful of your gratitude? Are you looking at your life and seeking out things to be grateful for? Desire without action is a dead result. You have to think it first.

Verbal Gratitude

Now that you are thinking it, are you speaking it? Are you looking in the mirror and telling yourself the things you are grateful for? Are you looking at your spouse and telling them that they are an amazing cook? They are an incredible hugger? Don’t assume people (including yourself 😉) don’t need to hear verbal gratitude. You and they both do.

Active Gratitude

If you were to write the story of your life would It represent a life of gratitude? Is your gratefulness obvious through your actions?

You can think it, you can speak it, but are you living it?

I know, that now that I have been literally shaken and stirred by Jesus, I want to live more intentionally with my gratefulness.

I want to serve people better, without an agenda.

I want to use the time Jesus has given me to serve Him, not myself.

I want to treat my wife and family the way they deserve to be treated even if I don’t feel like it.

God continues to save us. He continues to love us. He continues to give us everything. He doesn’t have to. He owes us nothing.

I am grateful. Are you?

God loves you. We love you.