Give Thanks!

When the busyness of life becomes reality, it’s easy to get swept away and miss the small things that actually mean a lot. Over the past 6 months, my life has become more and more busy. It doesn’t slow down once you win; it only speeds up! It’s a blessing and one that you must be intentional about.

At Internationals, Eddie Peterson encouraged us to write down three things each night that we are thankful for. I’ll be honest; it’s a struggle to do so. At the end of a busy day, all I want to do is lay down and zonk out. However, I’ve been trying to do this each night as I do my Bible study.

While in Africa, God blew up my heart about what I should be thankful for. Items and things I consider normal are actually a luxury and blessing. Take a look inside my notes to see three things I was thankful for during one of my nights in Africa.

1. A Safe Home

While in Soweto, I saw living conditions that nearly brought me to tears. Little girls and boys were living in one of the roughest areas. Never in my life have I experienced shacks like I saw in this township. Not all the homes had doors or even a roof that could survive a storm. It ripped my heart apart. I’ve never had to live like that… and never appreciated my small city apartment quite as much as I did when I saw the shacks.

2. Shoes

Can we all just agree that heels are not nearly as comfortable as tennis shoes? Many of the people I encountered didn’t have any shoes. None. I was standing there thinking of how my feet hurt from a week of heels and they were walking around without any protection. This moment catapulted my heart into a moment of gratitude and I felt selfish for even thinking about how my feet hurt. Shoes, painful or not, are a blessing.

3. The Job of Miss International

I always thank God for this year of service, but never to the extent I did when I was in Africa. What I saw absolutely ripped my heart apart and I couldn’t help but thank God for choosing me to serve the young women. It’s a blessing to serve them and one that still does not seem real. How is it that a small town girl who started a social media campaign in 2011 was now standing face to face with young women in Africa… telling them that they are beautiful – worthy – chosen – and capable? God is good.

Do you take time to write down what you are thankful for? With Thanksgiving among us, now is the perfect time to start your attitude of gratitude!

Redefining Beauty Worldwide,

Amanda Moreno
Miss International 2016