Don’t Miss What’s Working While You’re Watching What Isn’t
It’s easy to notice what’s missing.
The prayer that hasn’t been answered the way you hoped.
The opportunity that hasn’t come.
The goal you haven’t reached.
The door that still hasn’t opened.
The relationship that still hasn’t changed.
The thing you thought would have happened by now…but hasn’t.
We notice those things.
And if we’re not careful, we can become so focused on what ISN’T working that we completely overlook what is.
I’ve done it.
You probably have too.
You can be praying for the next opportunity while forgetting there was a time when you prayed for the opportunity you have now.
You can be frustrated about how far you still have to go and forget how far you’ve already come.
You can be so focused on the one thing God hasn’t done yet that you miss the many things He has already done.
That’s why gratitude is more than saying, “Thank You.”
Gratitude requires you to pay attention.
To stop long enough to notice.
Because sometimes the blessing isn’t something new.
Sometimes the blessing is realizing what’s already there.
The peace you didn’t have before.
The strength you developed.
The boundary you finally learned to set.
The courage you found.
The wisdom you gained.
The relationship that survived.
The relationship you had the courage to release.
The door that closed before you walked into something that wasn’t right for you.
The person who showed up at exactly the right time.
The provision that came from somewhere you didn’t expect.
The fact that something that once would have broken you…didn’t.
That counts.
We have to stop measuring progress only by big moments.
Everything God does in your life will not arrive with an announcement.
Some blessings are quiet.
Some answers look like peace.
Some miracles look like endurance.
Some breakthroughs look like finally saying, “No.”
Some progress looks like responding differently to something that once triggered the old you.
And sometimes growth simply looks like realizing:
“I don’t live there anymore.”
That deserves your attention too.
November naturally makes us think about gratitude.
Family.
Food.
Traditions.
Blessings.
All of that is beautiful.
But I want you to go a little deeper this year.
Don’t just ask yourself, “What am I thankful for?”
Ask:
“What have I been overlooking?”
Because you can be blessed and distracted at the same time.
You can have evidence of God’s faithfulness all around you and still be staring at the one place where you’re waiting.
And no, gratitude doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect.
It doesn’t mean you stop wanting more.
It doesn’t mean you stop praying.
It doesn’t mean disappointment doesn’t hurt.
You can be grateful and still be waiting.
You can be thankful and still want change.
You can appreciate where you are and still believe there is more ahead.
Both can be true.
The difference is that gratitude keeps what hasn’t happened from stealing the joy of what has.
And maybe that’s the shift you need right now.
Instead of only asking:
“God, when are You going to do this?”
Take a moment and say:
“God, show me what You’ve already done.”
Look again.
You may discover that you’re stronger than you were.
Wiser than you were.
More confident than you were.
More discerning than you were.
More peaceful than you were.
More YOU than you’ve been in a long time.
That didn’t happen by accident.
You’ve been growing.
You’ve been becoming.
God has been working.
And maybe everything isn’t where you want it to be yet.
That’s okay.
Yet is not never.
There is still more ahead.
But while you’re believing God for what’s next, don’t miss what He’s doing right now.
Celebrate the small wins.
Acknowledge the progress.
Thank God for the doors that opened AND the ones that didn’t.
Honor the lessons.
Appreciate the people.
Recognize the growth.
And give yourself permission to be grateful for how far you’ve come.
Because remember:
How you go through determines how you come out.™
And if you look closely, you might realize you’re already coming out differently.
You are purposed.
You are positioned.
You are predestined.
You are equipped.
You are prepared.
There is still more to come.
But don’t miss what’s already here while you’re waiting for it.
Let’s take a Selah Moment:
What have you been so focused on waiting for that you may have overlooked what God is already doing in your life?
Look back over this year.
What has changed in you?
What has gotten better?
What prayer has been answered in a way you almost forgot to acknowledge?
What do you have today that deserves a genuine, “Thank You, God”?
Now Our Faith Declaration:
I will not allow what I am waiting for to make me overlook what God has already done.
I choose to recognize the growth, provision, protection, and progress in my life.
I am grateful for where I am while still believing God for where I am going.
I trust Him with what has not happened yet.
I will celebrate every step of this journey.
My heart is grateful, my faith is strong, and I believe there is still more ahead.
With Purpose,
E. Lorraine Gardner
The Purpose Speaker™