Christian Latina Leadership Blog

By: Veronica Martinez-Gallegos

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We just celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States of America. This is a celebration that is part of the history of this country. Our Thanksgiving tradition originates from the first English immigrants who shared with the Native Americans a fall harvest feast and gave thanks to God.

Without a doubt, this should not be the only day where we express gratitude to God. We live in a culture that is characterized by ingratitude. Even when we pray, we begin with our requests to God, instead of our worship to God. Instead, we ought to first praise God and focus on God’s love and faithfulness. The result of this is God’s peace and strength as we remember that God has been and will continue to be on our side. Being grateful should be our lifestyle.

The psalmist wrote, “I will bless the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” (Psalm 34:1 NLT) King David wrote this psalm of gratitude for divine protection after Abimelech, also called Achish, cast him out of his presence because David pretended to be insane so that he would not kill him (1 Samuel 21:13-15). God protected David, and he recognized God’s care: “I sought the Lord, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). In this psalm, King David teaches us how to focus our gratitude on God instead of focusing on our doubts, fears, anxieties, anger or impatience. Gratitude to our Creator is an antidote to life’s uncertainties.

Gratitude to God increases our faith as we remember God’s faithfulness during difficult or painful times. And remembering how God met our needs in the past helps us trust that God will be with us in the future. Gratitude encourages our spirit as we worship God for his goodness. Gratitude is a habit and a spiritual muscle that must be exercised. When we go through times of uncertainty or pain, gratitude becomes most difficult. Thanking God for difficulties is hard, but if we do it, we will begin to see situations from God’s perspective, and our trust in God will grow. Ralph Waldo Emerson highlights the following:

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for everything good that comes to you and give thanks continually. And since all things have contributed to your advancement, you must include all things in your gratitude.”

Emerson’s call resonates with me. Without a doubt, we have all been through much this year, and I, personally, have found that the more I consciously focus on gratitude, the more I see good things around me. Furthermore, I also see where the not-so-good things have taught me important lessons. This allows me to be grateful for these experiences as well, although I may not express that gratitude immediately.

Although King David had already demonstrated it hundreds of years ago, research has now shown that having an “attitude of gratitude” shifts attention from oneself to the world around you. It is a mental, physical, and spiritual change that makes a person more present in their daily lives. Practicing gratitude creates opportunities for both the person and those around them to experience joy and appreciation.

Let me share with you how God has invited me to learn to practice the habit of gratitude. And God really has a good sense of humor. We recently moved to a new house. Three days before the move, an industrial sewing machine that was sitting on the floor accidentally tipped over and fractured the big toe on my right foot. The pain was terrible! I remember that during the first two hours of pain I asked God, why me? And why now and at this precise moment when we must move? I had a conversation with God, and I heard God’s voice telling me: “This is not the right question, Veronica. The question is not “why”; it is “what for”. And you know the answer.”

That led me to think about another action that, as leaders, we know we must practice in our daily lives: Patience. However, we do not like to exercise it very much, and therefore sometimes it becomes something absent in our life. I wonder if we often say that we have patience, but the truth is that we have patience if things go the way we want and if everything is under control. But the moment things go off plan and get out of control, patience escapes us. It is then that patience no longer seems so pleasant to us.

My experience of physical pain and the initial question I asked God about “why”, instead of “what for”, led me to reflect on my tendency to be self-reliant. I have a habit of wanting to do things with my own strength and in my own way. Otherwise, I am fearful that things will not turn out well. God confronted me with my impatience at that moment, and led me to this passage in Colossians 3:12:. 

“Since God chose you to be his holy and beloved people, you must clothe yourself with tender compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

In this passage, the Holy Spirit told me what my soul and spirit needed and invited me to clothe myself once again with patience. It is hard to explain, but it changed my perspective when I started thanking God for caring for me.

I was able to recognize that the accident could have been worse if my foot had been broken, but it was only the toe. Although it is true that I lost the independence of driving my vehicle for six weeks, God took care of me, and my husband was my driver for those six weeks.

You may identify with me. As a leader, you plan things that do not go as you thought they would, and you feel frustrated. James 1:2-3 (TLA) invites us to be happy when we go through difficulties because that is when patience is exercised. Patience makes us better people, and more grateful for everything.

I am truly thankful for the fantastic team God sent my husband and me to help us with the move. The answer to the “what for” of my accident was to accept the help that my ego otherwise would have shunned. I am grateful because it allowed me to exercise gratitude and patience. “Giving thanks to God in any circumstance. This is what God expects of you, as Christians” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (TLA).

We are close to finishing 2023. Over the next few weeks, will you join me in finding a moment or two each day to appreciate the things that contributed to our lives this year, the things that brought us joy as well as those that were not so pleasant?