If you’re not out helping to boost the economy with all the other shoppers on Black Friday, you may just want to snuggle up with some hot chocolate and think about being grateful.  So… can I join you? Let’s get real about gratefulness.

But, first, I need to get real about anger… because anger keeps us from gratefulness.

There’s a question I’ve been asked a million times since I became blind, it is some version of this: “Were you angry at God?”  or “How did you get over your anger toward God?”

I’ve been asked so many times that I wonder… should I be more angry? Am I not enlightened enough to be angry?

Why the heck am I not stark raving mad?

The truth is, I can’t remember ever feeling angry toward God.

Frustrated, yes. Sad, yes. Confused, yes. But, angry? No.

Believe me, I’ve tried! I was a psychology major, for heaven’s sake!

I’m quick to ask… have I suppressed, transferred or repressed — or something else that I read in a text book?!

In all my painful self-evaluation, I  think I’ve found the reason I’m not angry at God. And the diagnosis isn’t found in some diagnostic manual.  And, the reason is not because I’m some super hero Christian or fuzzy-headed Pollyanna who walks around singing hymns and polishing her halo!

The reason may be a lot more simple than you think.

I am not angry with God because I need Him too much.

Yes, there… I said it. I need Him.

I can be blind with God, but there is no way I can be blind without Him.

The best part of this slightly selfish posture is that when I choose to drop the anger and trust Him, I see how trustworthy and good He is. When I really see His goodness, I can’t help but be grateful.

God is good and trustworthy even when His ways are hard to understand.  He’s the first One I run to when I am frustrated or overwhelmed because of my blindness. If I lived angry toward Him, I would never feel like He could be my safe refuge.

See… I need Him!

So, maybe you can get a little stark raving grateful? Gratitude can shoot down all the angry birds that peck at your contentment. Thankfulness can protect you from growing bitter when things don’t turn out how you’d hoped.

Gratitude breaks chains of resentment that anger creates. And, thankfulness keeps you close to God.

I am the first to say that blindness is hard and not easy to be grateful for, but being angry toward God because of it would make blindness a ton darker. Your difficulty can be hard enough, but the anger you drag along with it can be even more debilitating than the difficulty itself.

Oh friend, gratitude to God for whatever He allows honors Him. And whatever honors Him blesses you. So go for it. Even when it’s hard, get stark raving grateful!

In the comments, tell us one thing you are grateful for even in a hard situation.