With all the “Days of Thankfulness” out there for us to read, I ask myself, “Why is it that we wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful? What is our reason for sharing? It isn’t that sharing thankful thoughts is not a good thing. It is! But I just get to thinking, “Why are we living it out now this month rather than all year around?” What would our lives be like if we did that every day all year? Do you think it would change the way you live out each day?
Ok. I am going to get on my momma soap box here for a second. I hear and read complaints about the weather…really? Most of us complaining have a home, we can keep warm there, we have some food that we can go to the cupboard/refrigerator and fix, we get to come in out of the weather, we have hot water for bathing, we have a car that keeps us out of the weather and warm as we travel, and we can gather with others over coffee, to name a few. And yet, if we get a little rain or snow comes our way, we feel down in the dumps. I remember laying in the hospital looking out the window and just being thankful I was alive to observe the light, the clouds and the beautiful trees. Believe me, I didn’t complain about the weather. I was happy to have another day to enjoy whatever came my way; even IF it meant discomfort and hard work. I had to LOOK for the good in my day, that is for sure.
I love photography and I read an article recently about photographers and the rain. Most photographers don’t want to go out in the rain to shoot photos, and yet there are some wonderful photo opportunities if we do. I am thankful I have a camera to shoot photos and that I can walk around to see things up close. Also, that I can take a photo and make a memory. I think we miss out on the blessings by complaining instead of concentrating on the fact that:
- we are alive,
- we have a place to live
- we are free
- we have food
- we have clothing
- we are receiving
- we wake up each day for another opportunity to do good
To me, that is the best of all worlds. I wake up to my husband, family, friends and my life. Why do I want to ruin that by living by my emotions, and whether or not there are few drops of rain or an absence of sunshine?
Don’t get me wrong. With all that I have gone through after my surgery for bilateral knee replacements, I have had my times of complaints to Him! But, God quickly reminds me of what He has done. I have a great doctor, given quick healing, quick mobility, good doctor reports, GREAT care, and friends that helped me. I am changed. My thoughts quickly turn to what is good. And…I am thankful!
As I have shared before, I have a gratitude jar that I made and used this last year. I have to tell you it is over half full! I used a GALLON jar because I wanted and expected to fill that up! But, it has changed my thinking as I look for those heart-shaped gratitude blessings to put into my jar. Come New Year’s Eve, I will open my jar and review all of them for this last year! Once again, I will celebrate what God does every day in my life! I got a card from a friend the other day and it shared that sometimes we are the puddle and other times we are the puddle jumper. Today, I am the puddle jumper and encouraging you to jump with me. Make thankfulness and gratitude part of your every day life; 365 days a year!
Why not look for what we CAN do where we are? As Mark Batterson says in his book, All In, “We can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right.” Let’s do it right! Let’s begin looking for those things in our lives every day that are right! Do you have an extra $20? How about taking that money and get a few McDonald’s or Starbucks cards so that you can share with someone who doesn’t have what you have; give them a warm cup of coffee or cocoa. THAT is getting our eyes off of us and onto someone else. That is doing something right! That is part of being thankful; we recognize that giving is the best gift of all, and it changes us.
So remember, this IS the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in IT! (My emphasis) Let’s jump the puddle today, shall we? We can’t be puddle jumpers without a little rain.
Walking the journey with you…
P.S. Let me know what you are or are going doing to live out your days with thankfulness. I would love to hear!
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