Inside: Life doesn't always go as planned. But we have to focus on what we can be thankful for. And doing so has the power to change our perspective.

I was in the car, frustrated and irritated with the two little guys in the back. All morning they had disobeyed, been slow when I needed them to speed it up, and made messes that were unnecessary and out of carelessness. My patience was running thin. There were other things going on, and hustling around town running errands with my kids was NOT what I wanted to be doing. 

I could feel the scowl on my face as I drove down the mountain towards town. I noticed the wrinkles, formed and deep, around my face as I sat in the driver's seat - the tension was pulling my skin tight.

Then, a voice inside my head reminded me of  something that I had heard many times:

"Smile. You have the ability to choose your attitude, and sometimes a forced smile is all that is needed to do it.” So I pushed my lips upward, fought back the frustration, and smiled. 

And guess what? I suddenly felt happier. I started talking to my kids and laughing with them instead of trying to drown out their noises from the back. 

Life doesn’t always look rosy and sweet. Some days are frustrating, exhausting, and just hard. But there are always things that we can be grateful for. And we can choose to dwell on those instead of throwing ourselves a pity party. 

And maybe, just maybe, when we focus on these things, the tension headache will start to dissipate, the anger in our gut will start to lift, and the irritation tangled in our limbs ill begin to unravel.

8 Things Every Mom Can Be Thankful For Even When They Don't Feel Grateful

1. A God who knew you before you were born

It is easy to feel a little bit forgotten in a world where everyone is always going and moving, isn’t it? But you are not forgotten - in fact it is just the opposite. You were created and formed by the Creator of the universe, and He sees you right now. 

He made you and loves you. He knew who you would be, the mistakes you would make, and all about your quirky and annoying tendencies. Yet He still created you, loves you, and cares for you.

You don’t always feel His love (I know, because I don’t either), but it is there. Don’t forget that. 

2. The children that you have had the privilege to meet

We never got the chance to meet our third child. We lost baby #3 to miscarriage at 12 weeks last year. And since then I have often thanked God for the two children that He has allowed me to touch and hold and watch. I will always pray that prayer of gratitude because I now realize how fortunate those of us are who have children that we can see, feel, and touch.

If you have little ones running around your house right now, rubbing their sticky apple hands all over your couch, remember what a gift it is that you have been able to meet them.

3. Free access to libraries, resources, and knowledge

“Libraries are a cornerstone of democracy—where information is free and equally available to everyone. People tend to take that for granted, and they don’t realize what is at stake when that is put at risk.” - Carla Hayden

Any one of us can head to a library right now and grab a book on just about any topic that we are interested in. That is amazing. And something we all take for granted. But what a gift and blessing that is. 

4. Friends (and the internet that keeps us connected). 

There have been times in my life where I looked around and realized I didn’t have many friends. So yesterday, when I met 5 other moms at a park and watched as our kids ran around while we chatted, I saw what a blessing it was to have friends. Even if they are far away on the other side of the state or country or world, we have access to the internet and phones by which we can communicate pretty much anytime we want.

Friends are to be cherished. Maybe you are like me back in college - you look around and aren’t sure you have many people in your corner. But I bet there is someone in your life you can count on. Be grateful for them. And cherish them. 

5. The death of Jesus Christ and your justification through Him

You know that God who created you? He created you perfectly. But, because we are sinful and live in a sinful world, you and I are not perfect. Guess what? If you have trusted and believed in Jesus, then God SEES you as perfect. Through Christ, He sees the perfect child He formed and grew. This is something to be eternally grateful for. 

6. The kiddos that are (right now) jumping into your piles of folded laundry

Before I was a mama I worked in a cold office as an engineer. My boss was a guy in his 40’s, and after being there a few months I learned that he and his wife had spent 8 years trying to have their first child. 

A couple of months ago I was in a marriage class and heard about a couple who had been married for over 20 years but had not been able to have any kids (despite wanting desperately to be parents). 

I have a friend who thought she would marry, never has, and has not had the opportunity to be called mama. 

It doesn’t matter that the laundry is now piled on the floor, that the bowl of warm oatmeal is smeared on the walls and floor, or that the bathroom is now soaked because your kids turned on the faucet and had their own water fight. You have them. They are yours. And they are a tremendous gift. 

7. Creation and the beauty it brings to our world

It’s hard to appreciate the beauty of the world around us when we are busy stuffing kids in the car and getting the house cleaned. But take a minute to look outside and appreciate the trees, the bird flying above, the pine cone lying on the ground. It really is amazing. And the fact that we live in a world that is full of creativity and beauty should make us pause and thank the Creator.

8. Enough clean and healthy food to eat

821 million people around the world cannot say this. At any point in my day I can jump in my car and in less than ten minutes be at a building that is filled with fresh, clean food.

We don’t have to go out hunting. We don’t have to dig through the garbage behind the diner to get food for our children. It may seem dramatic, but this is a reality for more of the world than we like to admit. So be thankful for what you have. 

Life can be tough, but there is always something to be thankful for. 

Life doesn't always look like we expect it to. But I guarantee there is something you can look at and be thankful for. Let gratitude be what you center your focus on, not on everything that is going wrong. 

If you are feeling down or like everything is against you, remember these 8 things that every mom can be grateful for. Focus on those. Let your kids see what gratitude looks like through your words, actions, and attitude.

And I’ll be rooting for you!