“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,” James 1:17a.

Wow…every good thing in my life is a gift from my Father. I don’t know why but this concept never hit me so hard before.

I’ve heard this verse before—many times in fact. However, lately, it has become a verse I meditate on regularly. It is such a practical thought that I passed over the gravity of what it means. 

I realized how often I had been walking through life taking for granted that every good thing was/is a personal gift from my Father.

The ultimate goodness is God Himself, therefore anything that I find happiness or joy in is a direct extension of God. Everything I enjoy in my life is a small fraction of my Father bestowed upon me as a gift. 

A large portion of this year was difficult. Life had ups and downs, hills and valleys, as it always does. 

But, through those seasons, the Lord taught me gratitude. 

I began to see God in the tiniest of details in my daily life. I began to pray that He intervene in the most minute moments of my day—and He showed up time and time again. 

I realized that in the past I often looked for large, pivotal moments to grow my relationship with my Father but these small, and seemingly insignificant moments, had, in some ways, actually done more for my relationship with Christ. 

It is almost like seeing how interested God was in my mundane life gave me more comfort than realizing He would pop up during my random dark seasons like a superhero—mostly disinterested but willing to help when it was bad enough.

This renewed perspective fixed on gratitude for the smallest of good gifts in my daily life led me into regular prayers of gratitude. I found myself closer to “praying without ceasing” and “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. 

The Spirit’s work in the life of the Christian never ceases to amaze me. What a good gift the Spirit is! 

He was teaching me to see good gifts everywhere!

I open the door and feel the freezing temperatures… 

“Thank you, Lord, for a home that has central heat. Thank you that my husband has a job that provides the money for us to heat our home and keep our children healthy and comfortable” 

I put my infant to bed and lay down to sleep, waking two to three hours later…. 

“Thank you, Lord, that my son slept for three whole hours, allowing me to rest” 

I am trying to put my baby to sleep but he is more fussy than usual… 

“Thank you, Lord, for my babies and that I am able to comfort them and meet their needs…thank you that I can breastfeed—I so enjoy it”

I am about to date my husband at home after the kiddos are asleep but they often wake and interrupt our date…I find myself praying for our time to be uninterrupted… 

“Lord, thank you for keeping the kids asleep so I could enjoy my husband. What a precious time together” 

My son is not always a big fan of the car seat….so, I pray that he has a good car ride and does not cry the whole time….

“Lord, thank you so much, for keeping my son happy and content for almost the entire 45 minute car ride. What a blessing” 

I had a big health scare during my postpartum season. This led to me being forced to introduce a bottle to my son. Doing so was difficult and defeating but God worked it all out and my son eventually took the bottle. Later, I found myself praying… 

“Thank you for the silver lining of being able to go on date nights without my baby now that he takes a bottle. This may not have been possible without that trial forcing us to figure him out.” 

I give these simple examples to encourage you that there are good gifts everywhere! I praise God for revealing the beauty He allows to grow all around me—no matter how small the blossom may be. 

I can tend to look at the trial and wonder where God is in my situation. Now, I am learning to acknowledge the trial while remembering that even if I struggle to feel Him, I can always see Him in the small goodness all around me reminding me of the gifts He has given as an extension of Himself.  

At the end of the day, I simply hope to leave you with this thought.

Two people could be living the exact same life. Two people could be experiencing the exact same mountain tops and valleys. 

One will acknowledge God at the highest peak and the lowest depth. The other will acknowledge God in those moments as well…but also, in the in between. 

I used to be the first, and now, I’m becoming the second. 

God was always there…giving all the same good gifts…but now, I was finally seeing them and as a result—loving Him more, trusting Him more, and gaining more peace.