I Am Grateful For Saliva?

Are you grateful for saliva? I know, what a question huh? I heard from a dear friend and brother this past week talking about how we have to be grateful for the small things? Why is he grateful for saliva? Cause he has had stage 4 cancer on his tongue and lost 80% of his tongue. They had to take part of his thigh to reconstruct his tongue. They said he would never speak again but today, thru lots of hard work and blessings from God, he is speaking and using his past hurts for God's glory. Wow! Puts a whole new outlook on gratitude for me. Here is a man that has been in a battle and understands what it means to be grateful.  I know sometimes in my own walk I can get overwhelmed and thru the enemies persistence forget what to be thankful for. Yesterday I had one of those days. I was just in a funk and feeling down. Don't you just hate the enemy?! Me too! I immediately reached out to my sponsor, accountability team, forever family and my wife. (thanks for praying family) I also meditated on His Word as I sat on the back porch listening to the rain fall. The rain reminds me that in biblical times there were incredible droughts and to get rain meant great blessing. As I began to think of those things I can be thankful for, functional body organs, to be able to talk, a family, so many friends, to be able to walk, laugh, eat, and much more, I began seeing my outlook much differently. Someone once said, “Keep your mind going in the right direction, and your life will catch up with it.” Yesterday I had to do that and I am so grateful I did. Christ has given us tools to deal with those storms of life, and when we look at those storms thru the lens of blessing and gratitude, our whole perspective can change. What are you taking for granted? Thank Him for the smallest of things like saliva and what He has and is doing for you right now. “A thankful attitude releases so much joy in your life. Wherever you go, give thanks to God!” Praise Him in the storm friend.  Rodney Holmstrom