Gratitude

Right now, I am grateful. I have a quiet moment all to myself and I'm grateful.

 

This week, my kids and I have been talking about gratefulness in the morning as we eat breakfast. We have these little cards from church that go along with what they are doing in Sunday School and apparently, this month must be gratefulness. Seems appropriate for November when everyone on Facebook is posting things they are thankful for.

 

Anyhow, one of the suggested activities for this month was to make a gratefulness box. We were instructed to decorate the box and fill it with little slips of paper listing some of the things we are grateful for. We still have to make the box but I wrote some of our ideas... hoping that the box will get made soon. I think we'll try to fill the box and read through the items over Thanksgiving weekend.

 

A sampling of some of the things the kids are grateful for:

• family & friends
• a brain (Samantha)
• Papa – because he plays with us a lot
• holidays like Christmas because we get to see our family (Michael)
• Jesus
• school
• Eli, Lucy, Aivlyn, Aunt Jen, & Uncle Jeremy (Jessica)
• food
• PBS Kids
• Michael at school (Amanda – I don't really know what this meant... I think maybe she is grateful when Michael GOES to school.)

Another suggested activity was to pick your favorite day ever – a special day that you have experienced and draw a cartoon about all of the different things you did that day...and put it in the box. We went around the table sharing what our favorite day would be if we had time to draw it out (which, of course we didn't have because we never really have time to do anything but eat in the morning.)

 

What struck me was what Samantha said. Of all the days she could have picked, she shared about a day this summer that she and Paul took a bike ride – just the two of them – to Netsins Ice Cream and bought a colossal six-scoop sundae and shared it. It was a day that seemed insignificant to me but it really meant something to her. Never underestimate the importance of one-on-one time with your kids! I know I really need to work on that.

As I appreciate this quiet moment, I think I could fill up our gratefulness box with a list of my own. Life isn't perfect, but it sure is good. And I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful for things like: my washer & dryer, delicious food, coffee in the morning, kids that love to be tickled, a husband who reminds me of my worth, forgiveness, friendship, sunny fall days, and a contented heart.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

 

I hope you have a wealth of blessings in your life today – no matter what the circumstance. And that you find your box is overflowing gratitude.