Are you giving thanks everyday?

Black and White Wicker Chairs

​       Are you appreciating each day you have or are you complaining about all the things you must do? It is easy to be grateful for the big things in my life. I give thanks to God for finding my future husband, for the opportunity to go see my friend on the coast of Oregon, or for the house I was finally able to purchase. However, I get lost in the little grinds throughout the day and feel so negative that I am convinced I need a change in my life. If I would stop and give thanks to God for the lessons instead of complaining about the challenge, joy would fill my life every day, not just in the big moments. 

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​       I was so thankful when Tyler came home with these two weathered white wicker chairs! I asked the Cozzi Creations’ Facebook friends what color to paint them and was so grateful for the feedback. A few weeks passed by and I hadn’t found time to work on the chairs. Soon my attitude turned into, ‘I have to go work on those chairs this weekend (insert eye roll emoji here)’.  It is easy to complain and be negative when we are overwhelmed and pressured to do, do, do. But as Christians, we are called to be grateful in all circumstances. Ephesians 5:20 says, ‘Give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’. We need to change our negative thoughts to show appreciation for what we have instead of dread. Now, ‘I have to go finish that chair’ turns into ‘I get to go work on my chair; I am so blessed’. 

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​       So I finally made the time to work on my chairs. I cleaned up the fringed wicker and secured the ends so it wouldn’t unravel. I took the old springs out where the cushions were, washed them and painted them black, which was a drastic change from the original white. The wicker chairs took three coats since there were many nooks and crannies to get the black paint into. With new plywood, I cut out squares for the new cushions to sit on. I found this perfect black and white buffalo check fabric to put over the seats. A trick to stapling fabric on a floating seat like this is to stretch the fabric in all four directions and place a staple on each of the four sides. That way you can lay your fabric with the pattern straight and then work around the cushion to secure the fabric. Always ensure to secure the cushion to the plywood too so that it won’t move under the fabric. I put four staples in mine, one for each side. 
       As I looked at the fabric, I thought about how everything is not so black and white in this world. There are many times where I feel like I am in a gray area and can’t make a decision. This is usually when stress and worry come into my life too. I understand now that with God, things are black and white. He tells us good from evil and he commands us to be thankful instead of complaining. 1 Chronicles 16:34 says, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever’. God wants us to live in his love, not in our worry; to be thankful each day, not just in the obvious moments in our life. 

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​       I always feel such joy once my projects are complete. God gives us gifts for us to use so that we may rejoice in his name. I created these two wicker chairs for someone on this earth to find joy in. It is clear how we are to live our lives on this earth. Give thanks in joy and in those mundane times when you feel lost.  Be grateful for the little challenges and the big moments in your life. For all these are part of who you are today.