HALL THINGS CONSIDERED: Be thankful for the little victories

Brad Hall, The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.
·2 min read

Jan. 29—Two weeks ago, I wrote about how my family and I have been struggling to get things done the past month due to sickness and the busyness of life.

I also mentioned how we need to pray about those situations so that God can either help us through it or at least let us know why we are in that position.

For me, I believe God was telling me that I need to be thankful for the small victories in life that we might often take for granted.

There are so many little things that we don't really appreciate until they fail us or until they're gone. So from now on, I will try my best to remember to be thankful for those tiny victories.

When the weather got real cold around Christmastime and started snowing, I was thankful for no issues at all. I celebrated the victories of our house staying warm, our pipes remaining thawed, and our car starting up and operating.

Later this spring and summer, I will be thankful every time my lawnmower starts up. It is certainly showing its age, so every time I get to use it to cut our grass will be a victory to me.

Right now, my wife and I call it a victory whenever we get a decent night of sleep because we just never know what to expect next with our wild and crazy toddler running around.

I'll also be thankful for victories even smaller than all of those. Like when you go through a fast food drive-thru and they get your entire order correct. Or when you stick a dollar in a vending machine and it actually works instead of stealing it from you.

But no matter the victory, whether it's big or small, there is always something we can celebrate the Lord for, and when we take a moment to recognize these daily victories, and take a moment to express our gratitude to God, we are encouraged to face whatever lies ahead with hope.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Pay attention to your small everyday victories because they are just a few of the many ways God brings us comfort and joy.

Brad Hall is the nighttime editor at the Times-Tribune. He can be contacted at bhall@thetimestribune.com.