God's Gentle Reminder: The Gift of Gratitude

Ever found yourself fixated on everything that went wrong while completely missing what went right? That's exactly where I found myself after hosting my fifth anniversary luncheon. Despite months of careful planning, unexpected challenges arose, creating what felt like chaos behind the scenes. As I lay in bed that night, mentally cataloging every imperfection, God's gentle but firm voice cut through my frustration: "Don't be ungrateful."

Those three words stopped me in my tracks. While I had been obsessing over logistics that didn't flow perfectly, I'd completely overlooked the beautiful community that had gathered to support me. My daughter wisely observed, "Mom, you have community." Women had shown up, paid for tickets, offered help, and received value from the event—yet I couldn't see past my dashed expectations to appreciate these blessings. The event speaker even commented on the warm welcome she'd received and the obvious love from my team of women.

This powerful lesson reminds us that gratitude isn't just about being thankful when everything goes right—it's about recognizing God's hand at work even amid disappointment. Scripture tells us to "give thanks in everything," which requires an intentional shift in focus. Where are you today? Are you dwelling on unanswered prayers and failed plans, or can you see how God is showing up in unexpected ways? An attitude of gratitude doesn't mean immediately feeling thankful during difficult moments, but it does mean eventually acknowledging that God accomplishes His purposes even when our plans fall short. I'm learning that this perspective change doesn't just honor God—it transforms our hearts and allows us to be fully present in the moments that matter most.

Chapters

• 0:07 God's Challenge: Confronting Ungratefulness
• 0:48 The Fifth Anniversary Luncheon Challenges
• 2:47 "Don't Be Ungrateful" - God's Midnight Message
• 4:45 Finding Perspective in Difficult Moments
• 7:15 Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
• 9:12 Closing Prayer and Reflection

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

has God ever chided you for being ungrateful? Have you ever been so focused on what didn't go right and how things are looking that, even when you see God's hands, all you can think of is everything we need to pick and look at? This didn't go right. How is this not going the way how I planned it, how I intended it for it to go Well? If you've had that experience, you will enjoy today's episode. That experience, you will enjoy today's episode. Hi, I'm colette marie and welcome back to another episode of conversations with colette marie.

Speaker 1: 0:51

Recently I had an event and as recently as saturday june 14th, I had my fifth anniversary luncheon, suffice it to say. With all my best laid plans, my team and I, we worked together In terms of setting up. It did not go the way how we thought. Some unexpected challenges came up and it felt like a mad rush, not because we planned poorly, but because we planned and never thought of what would happen if this didn't happen and if that was not in place. And, as I, the event was finished, and I'll go back to just a little bit about the event itself as it was finished. I remember Saturday night just feeling overwhelmed because you want things to go a particular way. You've envisioned this thing just flowing smoothly and nicely. Listen, I know you must be saying what in life ever goes smoothly and nicely the way how we wanted it. But as close to that as possible was what I was looking for, wanted it, but as close to that as possible was what I was looking for. And as I started to just to process because, if you know me, I'm a reflector and I'm processing the same night I'm going to lie down and I'm going to just be looking through my mind's eyes at what I wanted, what actually happened, and make a plan to do better the next time, suffice it to say. As I lay down and I was thinking about it, and all I could see were the glitches and the hitches, the things that did not go off smoothly. Can I tell you that in the night I heard distinctly don't be ungrateful, my God. That paused me right there. Don't be ungrateful. And when I look at it, I really was being ungrateful because, despite the hitches that I was focusing on, god did some amazing things in the room. My daughter said to me, she said mom, my older daughter. She said mom, you have community. You have community. She said what I took from that is that you have community, and my younger daughter agreed and we just started to have a conversation about what community looks like and just an overview of the event, and I remember the speaker saying it to me as well. She said, as she came in the room, the welcome that she felt and she said you have a team of women. You have women who love you.

Speaker 1: 3:46

Why was it necessary for me to hear that and for the Holy Spirit to chide me? Because life requires us to be grateful when things don't go the way we planned or the way we expected to. God still expects us to be grateful Because so many things, so many other things went well and we oftentimes don't focus on let me speak for myself. I don't focus on what went well, it's the things that I wanted to go right, and I'm telling you that pierced my heart so much that I actually had to start asking the Lord to forgive me. To forgive me without hearing the feedback of others. It's just asking him, lord, forgive me, because as he peeled back the layer for me to see that day, what I saw was a group of women who paid for their tickets, who came in and who helped. What can I do? How can I help? What can I do? And the event went off. Oh my God, giving God praise and thanking him for all that he has done.

Speaker 1: 4:58

I don't know where you are today and I don't know what your focus is on. Maybe you're focused on what didn't work. Why didn't God show up? Why didn't God allow things to go the way you wanted it to? Perhaps he is saying to you this morning I have shown up, I have shown up, I have been making things right for you. It's just that you are not in a place to see it. You are focused on what you do not have, instead of seeing everything else that I have provided for you. And one of the key things and you would have heard me speak earlier about just someone who does a lot of reflection and in that own, my own reflection I saw where it's sometimes just easy to miss the hand of God. Easy to miss the hand of God Because if I was focused really on okay, this didn't work, that didn't work, but what else is working In the moment, it would have changed my attitude, it would have changed my perspective, I would have been able to be more fully present in the moment, because it was a moment to acknowledge all that God had done.

Speaker 1: 6:26

I would have been more able to be fully in the moment. And so where are you today? Where are you today? What moment are you focused on? Are you focused on a moment where it seems as if God is just allowing anything to happen, not allowing the things that you want to happen in the time you want to happen? Or will you like me today, because the Holy Spirit chided you? Or maybe not? Will we instead choose to focus on all that God has done, is doing and will continue to do? Believe me, I know it will make a significant difference, because an attitude of gratitude is something that's very important In the moment. We might not be able to be grateful immediately, but surely, after a little while has passed, we can look back and say God, you did this, god, you've done this. Yes, this thing didn't go the way how I wanted, but look how you showed up otherwise. Look at the impact it has made and the blessing it has made on the people that you've called me to serve or on the people who are beneficiaries of this thing. That is what is key. That is what is important.

Speaker 1: 7:50

The Word of God tells us in everything, give thanks, because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. And so, as we give thanks today, as we Develop an attitude of gratitude to give God thanks in spite of and despite what is happening, it is a changed mindset, it's a changed perspective and it does something to our heart. It causes us to be more grateful to God, to see him even in the dark places, to understand that things will not always go Our best laid plans will not always go the way we want. How will we adjust our thoughts and our mindsets to know that God is well able, more than well, able, to do more than we could ever ask or even imagine, according to his power that works within us? You have community, you have people who are in your corner, who are ready to support you trust that, despite what's happening, god is with you, and an attitude of gratitude, a heart of gratitude, makes a whole difference as we do this life together.

Speaker 1: 9:12

Let us pray. Lord, I thank you today, thank you for your holy spirit that chided me to say don't be ungrateful. I thank you, lord, god, that you are still our Father and you love us with an everlasting love. That in spite of the fact that things did not go the way how I wanted, your will was accomplished. You showed me that I had community. You showed me that women were hungry for what they received, almighty God.

Speaker 1: 9:43

And they didn't see all that. They didn't see all that was happening behind the scenes, lord God. And they didn't see all that. They didn't see all that was happening behind the scenes, lord God. But yet still, father, they, oh my God, they took on. They took what you gave to them, and I am grateful, thank you, for your forgiveness. And so I pray for my sisters and my brothers who are listening, almighty God, who are not able in this time just to see your hand, lord, but is instead focused on what you haven't done and what didn't happen. I pray today, spirit of the Living God, that you'll minister to them in a supernatural way and that you'll remind them to be grateful, just as how you reminded me, almighty God, to be grateful. And so I speak gratitude over us, a heart of thanksgiving over us, almighty God, I bless you, consider subscribing, following and share this episode with someone else who you believe would find beneficial. Thank you for your support and bye until next time when I see you on another positioned for purpose conversations with collect marie bye.