30 Days of Gratefulness: Part 3
As we head into Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'm finishing out the things that I'm most grateful for right now. 2020 has been a year to teach us to be thankful for the small mercies in our lives and to take joy in the everyday moments. I hope this is a lesson I will remember long into the future.
What song are you most grateful for?
My answer to the question could change every day because music speaks to my soul but at this very moment the song I am most grateful for is "All is Well" by Point of Grace. I first heard this song close to thirty years ago when our church choir sang it in the Christmas Celebration. The song is absolutely gorgeous and such a beautiful reflection of the night Christ was born and the hope He brought with him.
What story are you grateful for?
I’m thankful for the story of a guy checking out the cool car his neighbor drove home for lunch and the girl who thought he looked suspicious because that is how my parents met. Not only is it a very amusing and on brand story for my parents, it is also why our family and those I love exist. You never know what little decision could change your whole life which makes life exciting and hopeful. As Ted Mosby said, "There are a lot of little reasons why the big things in our lives happen."
What tradition are you grateful for?
There are so many wonderful traditions that I’ve been a part of in my life. Crazy school spirit traditions in high school. Long standing, secret traditions in my sorority and bizarre but fun traditions with my friends but it’s holiday traditions with my family that make me the happiest. Watching “Christmas Vacation” while decorating the tree, rearranging the NOEL angels to spell LEON and drive my mother insane, Christmas Eve service together and more. I couldn’t pick just one tradition but I can say I’m most grateful for the holiday traditions that bring me joy every year.
What challenge are you grateful for?
I’m incredibly grateful for the growth challenges that have come my way in the last few years. Some I sought out intentionally and others were put in my path by the Lord. I’m thankful that I’m not who I was five years ago and that while uncomfortable at times, I’m becoming who the Lord has purposed me to be. I’m also grateful that I am starting to see why these moments were necessary in my life.
What moment this week are you most grateful for?
I've wondered how the holidays would feel since this whole craziness began back in the Spring. I had this aching worry that with the world in such a state the holidays just wouldn't be the same but I had a moment this week when I felt that warm, old-fashioned comfort that the holidays always provide. I don't know why I thought the joy of the holidays would be lost just because so much has changed. If people could still have a "Merry Little Christmas" in 1943 then I don't see why we can't. The truth is that the joy of Christmas comes from moments spent with those you love sharing and reminiscing about all the happiness you've had the privilege to experience in life and most importantly celebrating the birth of Christ and the hope that brings.
What form of expression are you most grateful for?
Obviously, I have to say writing! I find great joy writing out my thoughts, concerns, fears and hopes. It allows me to be creative while making sense of all the ideas in my head. I also find great pleasure and humor in going back a rereading things I wrote about how I was feeling many years ago.
What small thing that you use daily are you grateful for?
I did a post about this several years back but I am still grateful for all the little joys we get each day. In that post I talked about being grateful for colors, pets, music, dancing, fireworks, stars, alpaca faces, raccoon butts and the head tilts that German Shepherds do when they think you’re crazy. There are so many wonderful little things that the Lord allows us to experience that aren’t necessary for survival but makes life so much more enjoyable.
What small thing that happened today are you grateful for?
What friend/family member are you grateful for today?
I’m so incredibly grateful for my parents and I think that gratefulness is only growing the older I get. Not only do I appreciate my parents for all they currently represent in my life but I also have a greater understanding of all that my childhood contained. Being an adult is difficult and being an adult taking care of children is more complex than I can imagine. I’m so thankful for all that my parents did for me growing up and how they intentionally invest in my life.
What talent or skill do you have that you are grateful for?
I’m not sure what to call this talent or skill but I have the ability to see something in my head and create it. Like not anything of great significance but creative things. For example, when we do the Tribe play at school I can see the sets and costumes in my head and can just make them out of cardboard and tablecloths. The issue is that I have the worst time explaining this to anyone else. Some people, like Meg, have learned to trust me and just kind of go with the flow but others think I’m crazy when I close my eyes and “see” my design in my head. However crazy I look, this talent has served me well for many of my projects.
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