Gratefulness

I have a framed sign on my desk that says this:

“START EACH DAY WITH A GRATEFUL HEART.”

Sometimes that is challenging. I want to start the day in a grateful spirit, but sometimes I start the day grumpy. Not long ago my dishwasher was not working and after that my disposal was making weird noises.

Leaving the house that day left me open to someone who cut me off in traffic and then someone else who beeped at me as I hesitated to enter an intersection because I could see someone barreling through from the other side.

“You are beeping at ME?” Those were SOME of my thoughts.

Some days ooze gratefulness–the sun is shining, a good medical report comes in, a friend texting a sweet sentiment all lead to comfort, joy and gratefulness, but the earlier scenarios do not.

That’s where God enters in. God can help identify times to be grateful even when we fail the task on our own.

I made banana bread recently that turned out dry. I was grateful we had butter to spread on it and milk to drink along side.

I got tangled up and delayed by a funeral car procession recently. I was grateful to not have been in the procession.

A while ago I missed a stair and fell down a few steps meeting and greeting a wall with my head. I was grateful nothing broke and I mended in time.

An order I placed was delayed then lost. I was grateful to have been reimbursed for my costs.

See….it takes a tiny moment to assemble the good thoughts, and it is important to do so!

Find the rose among the thorns! See the blossom among the weeds! Savor the icing on the cake and the sun peeking through the clouds!

Reward yourself by balancing the bitter with the better.

AMEN!