When I moved into my house I had a kitchen counter and no chairs.

Thankfully, my sister’s home was being renovated and she asked me to store some things until the construction job was completed. This included two chairs that looked like they were custom made for my kitchen counter.

My children loved these chairs, the height and styling were perfect. Guests always commented on how well they fit the space.

Then, after 8 months, my sister asked for the chairs back. I was bummed. Where was I going to find another set of chairs that would do the trick? The closest I could come was a pair of wooden chairs that never quite fit. And every day I passed that counter all I could think of was how substandard my current chairs were and how ideal my sisters had been.

However, I no longer pass that counter feeling that way. No, I don’t have new chairs. I have a new attitude.

I have discovered that much of human discontent comes when we look at what we have as something that’s due to us – whether it’s earned, willed, or otherwise acquired. What has done the trick for me is to understand, instead, that everything is a gift.

What I mean is that I started out with an empty kitchen counter. And then my sister gave me a gift. I really enjoyed that gift, and I was lucky to do so for 8 months.

Earlier this week, when a friend asked if I could run a very inconvenient errand, I found a way to say yes, and did so happily because I looked at the gift it was to be able to help someone plus enjoy a scenic drive.

In other words, nearly every hassle, headache, and heartache can be greatly lessened by our understanding that it’s not what it appears to be. Of course, it may not be expected, recognized, or as mundane as the examples I’ve mentioned. But even grief over the death of a loved one is greatly lessened by my thoughts of gratefulness toward them.

The wonder of creation, the work and ministry of Jesus, the calling God has on our lives, it’s a gift. It’s all a gift.