It's funny how we can use something every day and not pay it much attention until the day it stops working.

You probably don't wake up every morning thanking God for hot water. But let the boiler stop working when you're about to take a shower on a cold morning, and suddenly you realize how much you needed that hot water.

The washing machine is just another appliance in the house until it stops working when you have a week's worth of dirty clothes sitting in the laundry basket.

And most of us hardly think about electricity. Flip a switch, the light comes on. Plug in your phone, it charges. Open the refrigerator, it's cold. But let power go out for a few hours and suddenly you realize how much of your day depends on something you barely pay attention to.

It's strange. We notice very quickly when something is missing. But we're not always as good at appreciating it while it's there.

And I wonder how often we do the same thing with what God has given us.

Think about something you really wanted a few years ago.

Maybe it was a job. You sent out applications, dealt with rejections, prayed for an opportunity and hoped someone would finally give you a chance. Then the offer came, and you couldn't wait to start. But after a few months, Sunday evening comes around and you're already thinking, “I can't believe I have to go back to work tomorrow.”

Or think about how you felt when you first got the keys to your home. You couldn't wait to move in and make the place yours. Now you're wondering why the house is messy again, what needs fixing next and why there's always another bill to pay.

It's funny how quickly something can go from “God, thank You!” to “Do I really have to deal with this again?”

The job didn't stop being a blessing. Neither did the home. You just got used to having them.

And maybe that's what happens with some of God's gifts. They become such a normal part of our lives that we forget there was a time when having them at all was one of our biggest prayers.

Think about the story of the Israelites.

They were in the wilderness with no food, and they complained to Moses because they were hungry. So God provided manna. Every morning, they would wake up and there was food waiting for them. (Exodus 16:4)

Imagine the first morning. You went to bed wondering what you were going to eat, and you woke up to food God had provided. Then it happened again the next morning. And the next. Until something miraculous became something they expected to find when they woke up.

Years later, we find the Israelites complaining about that same manna: “But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (Numbers 11:6)

Imagine saying “nothing but manna” about something that once felt like a miracle.

But maybe that's what familiarity can do. The first time, you can't believe God provided it. After a while, you expect it to be there. And eventually, instead of appreciating what you have, you start focusing on what you don't.

The Israelites still had food every morning. But now they wanted something else. And maybe that's where their story gets uncomfortably familiar. Sometimes when we’ve become so used to what God has given us, it becomes so easy to focus on what He hasn't.

So maybe the answer isn't to feel guilty every time you complain. It's okay to have days when work wears you out, the kids get on your nerves or you really don't want to cook another meal.

But this week, when you catch yourself complaining about any of those things, I want you to try something simple.

Look again.

If you're complaining about the laundry, thank God that you have clothes to wash. When you're tired of cooking, thank God that there's food in the kitchen. When work becomes tiring, thank God for the provision that helps you take care of yourself and the people you love. When you feel sore after going to the gym, thank God for a body that is able to move.

Maybe we just need to get better at noticing what we have, even in the moments we're complaining about them.

Because gratitude shouldn't only come when we realize what we had after it's gone. We can learn to appreciate God's goodness while it's still right in front of us.

And maybe that's the habit we need to build: noticing, appreciating and thanking God for what He's given us while we still have it.

Paul tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Maybe sometimes that starts with something as simple as looking again.

I wonder what the person you were a few years ago would think about your life today.

Maybe they'd turn the key, walk into your home and remember when you were praying for the day you'd finally have a place of your own. Maybe they'd look at the job you're tired of going to and remember all those applications that got rejected. Maybe they'd get into the car you're tired of driving and remember the days you missed something important because the bus didn't come. Maybe they'd sit at your dinner table, look around at the people who are now your family and think, “Wow. I can't believe this is my life.”

It's funny how we can spend years hoping and praying for something, only to get so used to having it that we forget how much we once wanted it.

And maybe not everything in your life today is what you prayed for. There may still be things you're waiting on, things you wish were different and prayers you desperately want God to answer.

But don't let what you're still waiting for make you overlook what's already here. You may have things today that the old you would have cried tears of joy to have.

Don't wait until you lose it to remember what it was worth. Thank God while it's still yours.

✝ Kingdom Mantra

Can you think of something in your life today that the old you would have been so grateful to have? Hit reply to this email or drop a comment below if you are reading this on our website. I would love to hear from you. God bless you and do have a great weekend. ❤️