Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Thessalonians 5:18

There’s a story about a farmer who grew discontent with his farm. He complained that the fish needed to be thinned out of the lake on his property, the rolling hills made it more difficult for him to run the fence rows, and sometimes he couldn’t even see his cows because they had so much territory to cover. At night it was so dark, it was hard to walk from the barn back to his house. He decided to sell the place and move somewhere really nice. He called a real estate agent and made plans to sell his property. A few days later he picked up the local paper, looking for a new place to live. His eye caught an ad for a lovely country home in an ideal location – quiet and peaceful. It had soft rolling hills; a pristine lake stocked with bass, a classic barn surrounded by natural flowers and soft grass, and came complete with a wonderful herd of Black Angus cows. It was just close enough to a small town to be convenient but far enough out to be uncluttered by city lights, traffic, and noise. He read the ad a second and then a third time before realizing he was reading his real estate agent’s description of the place he currently owned. He called her and told her to cancel the ad. He said, “I’ve changed my mind. I’ve been looking for a place like this all my life.”

Some days it’s hard to deal with all the little frustrations in life. When you allow annoyances to pile up, they eventually become your only focus. Sometimes, all you need is a change of perspective. To the outsider, your biggest struggles may seem like a little bit of heaven. It wouldn’t be difficult to find someone in this world who would eagerly trade your worst day for their best day. Because their worst day would be unfathomable. Instead of searching for a way out of your current frustrations, find a new way of looking at them. Perhaps God isn’t working to change your circumstances; He’s working on you to change your perspective, which will ultimately change your heart. Rather than focusing on everything that is wrong, thank Jesus everyday for all that is good—and even for the bad stuff! It won’t take long before the bad stuff no longer makes the list. Gratitude does that! You are loved!