On being thankful

By Britney Belskis

Hey friends, As we come into the holiday season, I can’t help feeling overwhelmed by circumstance; felt rejected and even found how to be thankful in the midst of the storm. Have you ever felt this way? If so, you know it can take an emotional toll on you and your body.

In the later part of November, I felt overwhelmed. I blame it on being in my last semester of college. I found myself trying to juggle many deadlines that were due. I had to write a research paper which ended up being erased from the computer two hours before the deadline. Everything was gone! Needless to say, my anxiety level went from 0 to 60 in a matter of minutes.

I also had a speaking engagement that I wasn’t ready for. I was a mess trying to find a way to deal with the pressure. On top of losing my paper and not being prepared for the speaking engagement, I lost my job. You see, this job was my dream job. This was my pursued career path.

Oh by the way, did I mention that I am visually impaired? Being visually impaired, I have had many ups and downs, which has been an uphill battle. The rejection of my child-care job ending was like a sharp jab in my stomach; it stung to the core.

All these questions ran though my head. Why is this happening? What is wrong with me? I thought I was meeting all the requirements. It was like everything was snowballing out of control. I felt overlooked and defeated once more.

This is where I made a promise with myself to be thankful in the midst of the storms that I’m facing. I decided to make a list of what I’m thankful for. The list looked like this:

• I’m thankful that I live in a country filled with opportunities.
• I’m thankful for my family that supports me through everything.
• I’m thankful for friends who are family.
• I’m thankful for God’s grace in my life.
• I’m thankful for God’s love that is renewed every day.

My thankful list brought me back to all the blessings that I have and the people who I’m thankful for. Sometimes we need to look a little deeper to see what is really there in the first place. Sometimes I think we get so distracted by personal storms in our lives that we forget what’s important.

So when you are feeling like everything is slipping away, remind yourself what you are thankful for. Here is a little challenge for you: Take some time out of your busy schedule and make a list of all that you are thankful for. I can tell you by experience that it will transform your heart.