“Lord, Thank you that my dog threw up on the floor.”

This is the way one mom of littles began to to lead the other mom of preschoolers in prayer.

I am the mom of four former littles, now young adults. I  can relate, even though my littles are not. 

At that stage in my life, I may have added,  “And thanks that none of the kids went slip-sliding through it.”

Mostly, it’s easy to focus on the vomit life brings us, isn’t it? 

Why am I not more like this mom; a person who is able to settle on the very good fact the contents of her dog’s stomach propelled onto the hardwood rather than the carpet?

We can choose to look at life through grateful glasses or sour spectacles. 

Dogs of believers and unbelievers alike get sick. The difference is, when the sickness comes and… even if it splats on the carpeting, we know we have a great big God in whom we can trust.

That doesn’t mean we are rejoicing when our dog gets sick; it just means that we have hope in the muck.

So how do I weave that hope into my life? One way is by having a thankful attitude each day. Trust, hope, and thankfulness are all connected. Have one, get another.

I want these qualities to develop in me and in my kids. If, as a family, we practice these when the inevitable upchucking shows up on the doorstep or floor (or carpet) we will be more able to navigate the circumstances.

Here are some simple ways we can inoculate ourselves from the contagious woe is me attitude and/or prepare ourselves and our kids to face the inevitable suffering that comes from living in a sick and fallen world.

Apply these 7 things each day so when the flu of trials arrives, we are ready:

1. Discover who God is.
2. Praise him for who he is.
3. Delight in creation.
4. Praise the Creator.
5. Count family members and friends as personal blessings. 
6. Thank God for at least three things in your day.
7. Choose to see the silver-lining in the dark cloud.

Approach the throne room by beginning your prayer of petition with these 7 ways to worship and be thankful.

I am determined to pray more like the woman above who chose to look at the positive even in the midst of her messy situation. I can be thankful in my unexpected circumstances because I  trust and place my hope in a great big God.

If you like this post you may enjoy this related post:
The Best Thing We can Teach Our Child in a Fallen World

Lori Wildenberg
mom of four, wife to Tom
co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting and co-author of three parenting books. Contact Lori for your next event.

© LoriWildenberg. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Lori Wildenberg is a licensed parent and family educator, parent coach, and co-founder of 1Corinthians13 Parenting.com. She has written 6 books including Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home; The Messy Life of Parenting: Powerful and Practical Ways to Strengthen Family Connections; and her most recent book, Messy Hope: Help Your Child Overcome Anxiety, Depression, or Suicidal Ideation. Contact Lori for your next event or for parent consulting or parent training courses. Lori can also be found mentoring over at the MOMS Together Group on Facebook.