A lot of people on
Facebook post “thankful” statuses during the month of November. I like to read them because their posts
remind me of the many things for which I am thankful. There are too many to list; but it got me
thinking about the whole concept of thankfulness.
To be thankful means to
feel or show an appreciation for someone or something that has been bestowed
upon us. It’s indicative of receiving a
blessing and expressing gratitude.
There are people who
actually feel they have nothing for which to be thankful, but I don’t believe
this is the case. If we look at each moment in our
lives… I mean, really get close and look…we’ll find tiny treasures we have
missed. A smile. Laughter.
A hug. An act of kindness from a
stranger that went seemingly unnoticed.
I think we are often
times so hurried and harried that we miss some of life’s simplest
blessings. There are mornings when I am
flying around my kitchen trying to make breakfast, make lunches, fill water
bottles, get backpacks ready and get the kids off to school, and it isn’t until
they are gone that I realize I didn’t even make eye contact with them. They talked and I nodded a hurried “uh-huh”
or “okay,” but I didn’t really engage in the conversation or connect with
them. Their smiles light up my heart in
a way nothing else can, and when I get too busy I miss out on that simple
morning blessing. It was there, but I
didn’t see it. I’m making a point to
never miss out on that blessing again.
Nothing in this world
matters more than the people God has placed in our lives. Oh, sure, sometimes they can make us want to
pull out our hair, but that’s just a part of love. Sometimes we make them want to pull out their
hair as well. I believe God hand selects
those that will cross our paths, for reasons we may or may not know; but important
nonetheless. Our job may be to influence
them and their job may be to change us…either way, it is the act of journeying
together that matters most.
Each morning when I
awake I thank God for another day and then I quickly give the day back to Him because
if I hold onto it I’m bound to screw it up.
He has to hold it for me, in the safety of His hands and guided by His
wisdom, not my lack of it. Then, I thank
Him for all of the people for whom He has brought into my life and blessed
me. I pray that I will not miss the
tiny, treasurable moments of seeing their smiles, sharing their laughter and
giving tight hugs. These blessings are
what fill me. They are what make
everything else in life bearable.
During this month, I am
striving to treasure every tender moment… to tuck it into my heart and let it
sprout roots of joy. ~
