Thankful Thursday

One picture is probably worth a thousand posts when it comes to my innumerable reasons for being thankful…

…but what’s the fun in that?

Thank you, Diane, (and originally, Kristina) for reminding us to count our blessings.

Here are ten of mine from today.

• Rather than get all picky about not having any half & half for this morning’s cup of coffee (I’m pathetic when it comes to my morning fix, I tell you), I will be thankful for having had the caffeine that I need to get me going. And then I will go search the van because I just know that I bought a half gallon of half & half last night at Costco (A half gallon! Isn’t that hilarious?) and wouldn’t you know, I find the missing carton wedged in between two cars seats in the van. I am not one to forget to buy half & half for my coffee. I am just that pathetic.

• (No-Brainer #1) Rather than get depressed over the extra ten (or fifteen) pounds that I am carrying, I will be thankful for these legs that work; these eyes that see; these ears that hear; and I mean really. At the end of my life, will a little dimply bit here or there really have mattered? They won’t have mattered to my kids, I’ll tell you that much, and they certainly didn’t matter to the saints.

• (No-Brainer #2) Rather than act the martyr over the kitchen pantry that’s never tidy, the refrigerator shelves that are always sticky, or the kitchen sink that’s forever overflowing with sippy cups, cereal bowls, and stagnant water, I am going to be grateful for God’s tremendous gift of having more than enough to eat and drink. And after spending a moment or two being grateful, I’m going to go clean my sink.

• Rather than be annoyed about my 3-year-old’s penchant for: removing every stitch of clothing (diaper included) and shrieking throughout the house; or having a meltdown in Target because twenty minutes in the toy aisle is simply not enough; or having a temper tantrum at piano lessons because she wants a Kleenex from the van and not the bathroom; I am going to be thankful for the gift of this little blue-eyed, blonde haired sprite. She is my “baby” and it appears she will be the tail end of this family, at least on earth. Thanks be to God for the blessings of any and all children.

• Rather than sigh (and sigh again) over the fact that my big “baby” girl is still not potty-trained, and rather than grimble grumble over the amount of money I’ve just spent on a box of diapers, I will instead appreciate the dual functionality of this investment.

• Rather than work myself into a tizzy deciding which house we will visit on Thanksgiving, I will be thankful that we have such a wonderful extended family that wants us.

• Speaking of families, rather than be annoyed with this clan of whiskers that appears determined to take up residence on my chin, I will be thankful for the gift of 20-20 vision and a really good pair of tweezers. And have you heard about that woman in Seattle who bit off her ex-boyfriend’s upper lip? Suddenly a few chin whiskers seem like the least of my problems. I’m just saying.

• Rather than grow despondent over the onslaught of the cold Minnesota winter, I will be thankful for the simple pleasure of a brand new pack of chapstick. What? You think I’m being silly to include that? I was once standing in a New York City bus terminal waiting for my connection when I reached into my pocket for a tube of Blistex. A woman all but leapt out from the shadows at me and said, “Oh, like, hey! Can I please have some of that?” The poor dear really needed it—I took one look and that was clear—and yet I was so startled by her sudden, lunging request that I gave the tube of Blistex a really hard squeeze and it shot from the tube—phhhhtt!—into the air in a big white streak. And then I gave it to the woman and said, “You know what? You can just have this.”

• Rather than feel put-out that I’m the one who has to take the puppy for her first walk of the day while the rest of the family is still snoozing, I will be thankful for the excuse to get outside and enjoy the morning. I will take deep breaths and enjoy the fresh, fall air. I will notice that someone is running their dryer—how I love that smell—and I will smile at the happy sound of children playing on the corner as they wait for the school bus.

• Rather than feel burdened by the many responsibilities that go with homeschooling, I will feel thankful—very, very thankful—for the right to teach my children. And I will close by reminding you to be thankful for your rights as well—as a homeschooling parent or as a non-homeschooling parent—because we will always be our children’s primary educators. What a gift. What an awesome, exciting, overwhelmingly scary gift. Thanks be to God that we’re not doing it alone.

Ad Jesum per Mariam,