Being Thankful

If my life were a weather pattern, this would be one of those windy, cold, rainy weeks.  (I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here...for me, it would actually be hot instead of cold.)  Driving would be crazy, as people neglected to use common sense while they were on the road.  There would be complaints heard in office buildings throughout the city.  You really wouldn't want to leave your house, choosing instead to seek comfort and warmth...and hiding.  So what are we to do when we face a week when everything seems to be going the wrong way, or life is weighing on us, causing us to trudge through the mud?


Jump in a puddle.


Find a way to embrace joy in the moment.  Do you remember being a child and putting on your boots and raincoat, just to go search out the puddles during a rainstorm?  Do you remember standing outside when it was snowing, trying to catch a snowflake on your tongue?  Are you willing to remember?  What could this look like in our everyday lives?


I want to share with you a nugget of wisdom I have learned over the past year.  It is amazing and can change your life, if you let it...but, man, is it difficult.


Be thankful.


Right there, in the middle of your rainy moment, give thanks for something.  For me, this can look several different ways, depending on the weight of the moment.  Sometimes I simply say, "God, I know I'm supposed to thank you for something right now, but I don't know what I can be thankful for...so thank you that you are there."  Other times, I can be specific:    "Thank you for a family that loves and accepts me."  "Thank you for snow that was unexpected."


Why are these moments of thankfulness so important?  Perspective.  I've mentioned it before, but a change in perspective can mean a change in your world.  I think about the moments when I am not thankful...if I stay in that moment and choose to look in the mirror at myself (whether physically or metaphorically), I almost never see the good in my life...I see the struggle I have with my weight; I see the ways I've failed my friends and family; I see the regrets and the shames of my past.  


I truly believe that our mirrors (both physical and metaphorical) are a true reflection of our perspectives and positions in our own lives.  When I grab on to something for which I am thankful, I return joy to my life.  I step out of the blackness and into the light of truth, which can reveal more than I ever expected.  Being thankful expands not only my field of vision, but it also gives me permission to not focus on myself.  Then, if I happen to see myself in the mirror, I don't stop and stare/wallow.  I don't even stop to judge myself...I am too busy living my life and finding joy.


Are you willing to stop and be thankful in all the moments of your life?