ANZAC day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. We commemorate and honour the memory of the 60,000 Australians who died in that war and those in wars since. We remember their valiant efforts in achieving for us the freedom we so wonderfully enjoy today. We wear red poppies in their honour.
I love ANZAC day! What a great opportunity to spend a day being intentionally thankful. But it really got me thinking - how thankful am I really? Anyone can be thankful when things are good, provided that you remember to be thankful in the first place. But what about when things are rough, when life is taking you down an unexpected road, when it feels like it's all falling apart, are you able to be thankful then?
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
One of my early posts on this blog was about thankfulness (click here to see it). But I think it's helpful to be reminded of this time & again. Even if today is the single worst day you've ever faced in your entire life, there is still much to be thankful for. For instance - you survived today!! God saved you from the depth of hell because of Jesus' dying on a cross for you!! And no matter how hard today has been, God has not left your side, not even for a second! Trust me, once we stop long enough to think of three things that God has done for us that we can be thankful for, we are overwhelmed by the long list that comes to mind. Surely, if we started now & never stopped thanking God for all He's done till the end of time, we would still be nowhere near finished.
I think today, I will use this day to not just be thankful to the soldiers but be thankful to God for the freedom he has bought for me in Christ, that I so wonderfully enjoy. I choose to be thankful for each blessing, for each difficult time that he has used to bring me closer to Him, for each tear of mine that he has collected in His hands and finally, for the fact that today, I am one more day closer to being brought to completion on the day Jesus returns & one more day closer to walking side-by-side forever with my God. And so are you!
For more details on the history behind ANZAC Day, click here.
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