Thank God for every blessing he has given

It was mid-afternoon and a great ray of light broke forth through the cloud-ridden sky. I was driving back home from a business trip on a busy highway near New York City. Up ahead, I saw a sign. It read that I was approaching a toll booth. Minutes later, I drove through the toll booth. As I did, I recalled a story I had once read somewhere written by Dr. Charles Garfield.

One morning, Dr. Garfield was going out to lunch in San Francisco. He was in his car and he was drawing near a toll booth. As he drove closer to it, he heard loud music. Confused, the doctor looked around at the cars and trucks next to him in line waiting to pass the toll booth. But they all had their windows closed, so the music wasn’t coming from them.

As the doctor drove toward the toll booth to pay, he saw within it a young toll collector was playing music and was dancing.

Stunned, as he stopped his car to pay, the doctor couldn’t help but ask the young man what he was doing. With a pleasant grin on his face, the toll collector answered enthusiastically, “I’m having a party!”

And he continued twirling and dancing.

The doctor nodded. He paid the toll and went on his way.

Meanwhile, a few weeks passed, and the doctor continued to think about that young toll collector. So he drove back on that same roadway and to that exact same toll booth. Once again, there was loud music within, and the young man was twirling and dancing.

For a second time, the doctor exhaled; and as he paid the toll he questioned, “What are you doing?” Remembering the doctor, the toll collector happily replied, “I’m still dancing” and “I’m having the same party.”

The toll collector was not sitting in the toll booth alone dissatisfied, depressed or overwhelmed. He wasn’t restless or unsettled. Nor was he continually worried about any mistakes of the past, replaying them over and over in his mind. Rather, as the toll collector was fulfilling his responsibilities, he was joyful, passionate about life and… dancing.

He developed a perspective that took a sometimes mundane job and he added fun, purpose and meaning. In a brief conversation with the doctor, the toll collector stated with a relaxed smile, “I don’t understand why anybody would think my job is boring. I have a corner office, glass on all sides. I can see the Golden Gate, San Francisco, the Berkeley hills; half the Western world vacations here… and I just stroll in every day and practice dancing.” What a revelation! A smile drifted on the doctor’s face and into his soul. And he knew he had just been handed one of those rare life-changing moments.

This story illustrates that you and I have a choice in what we do and how we view life.

What thoughts are playing over and over in your mind? How are you choosing to live this moment?

From this day forward, have a fresh, new mental attitude. Unclutter your mind from negative thoughts of worry, fears or despair. God created you to be free. Decide today to: “Let all negativity go.”

Keep in mind that ‘where you are going’ is more important than ‘where you’ve been.’ Therefore, don’t be weighed down by the past. Hopelessness can crowd out the good things in your life. So discontinue hurting yourself or putting yourself down because of conditions that happened long-ago that were out of your control. You have too much ability, talent and strengths to waste any more of your precious time on toxic individuals or adverse situations. Stop holding onto bitterness or regrets. Give God the hurts and pains, and then the two-ton weight that has been on your shoulders will be lifted. Close the door to what happened in the past and look for that new open window in your future. Then daily, thank God for every blessing He has given. Appreciation works miracles and can adjust your thinking.

“Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vine, though the olive crops have failed and the fields have produced no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18).

Condition your mind to look for the good. Don’t let anything steal your joy. God will take the undeserved and unfair situations that have occurred, and ultimately, turn them around for your good:

• When you’re tempted to get upset or worried, remind yourself, “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:14).

• If life throws you a curve ball, don’t give up, persist forward and say, “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” (Proverbs 24:16).

• In challenging times; set your mind on God’s promises and respond by declaring, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (Psalm 18:32).

• In weakness; think about strength and tell yourself, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10).

Recently, there was a news report on television about a Pittsburg father. Although the father works three jobs, he just couldn’t afford the dress that his daughter picked out and had her heart set on to wear to her 8th grade school formal.

The daughter did not get discouraged. She waited on and trusted her father to provide for her what she needed. So after working some extra shifts at his job, little by little the father saved up the money.

Next, he went to the store and purchased the dream dress. After that, he surprised his daughter with it.

With eyes full of tears and gratitude, the daughter said she will never forget how her father made the impossible happen. And God, your Father is going to make the impossible happen for you.

God is a miracleworker. Hence, never stop believing, because miracles happen every day. And your miracle could happen today.

So make up your mind to live your life joyful … and dance!