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All I wanted to do was pull a thick blanket over my head and never face the world again. Too many things had gone wrong in a short period. I had lost most of my income overnight. I was hit with debt payments that I did not know I had collected in my business. My close friends were divorcing.

Amid this dark period, the Lord whispered something I did not expect. He told me to thank Him more than ever before. I could not believe my spiritual ears. What? I am in pain! Aren’t You feeling sorry for me? Aren’t You going to turn my situation around in an instant?

Making an offering of thanksgiving in chaos and pain was the last thing I wanted to do. Yet I knew I had no choice but to obey. I decided to dedicate the hour I spent walking my dog daily to thanking God.

For two weeks, I thanked Him for a whole hour daily for the beautiful snow, clean paths, and warm winter clothes. I did not find anything else that was good in my life. Then suddenly, my spiritual eyes were opened. I realized how ungrateful I had been. I had not given thanks to God for all the precious answers to my prayers. My thinking had been that I asked for those things, I stood in faith for them, and I received them.

Thanksgiving during inner pain and loss was difficult for me, but I obeyed, and it changed me. No, God did not turn my situation around instantly. I continued to find things daily for which to thank Him. I began to see the blessings I had taken for granted. But the most amazing transformation was my eyes opening to truths I had not noticed in His Word before. My trust in God grew. Step by step, He turned my situation around.

If you are in a difficult place, lift your eyes from your situation and give thanks to God for every good thing in your life. He will turn your situation around.