We Say Thank You

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It was instilled in my siblings and me to say thank you or "grace" before our dinner. My husband and I continued that practice with our children as well. It is good to be thankful for the food you are to consume for the nourishment of your body. One of my beloved priests once told me, "when you can't think of anything to be thankful for (which is hardly ever), give thanks for your toes that help you stand or the hair on your head that keeps you cool!" His point was that there is always something to be grateful for.

If you knew me in the late 80s, you know I was a tiny bit obsessed with Oprah Winfrey and her talk show, book club, etc. In watching and listening to her, I learned about keeping a gratitude journal. She suggested writing daily, "Today I am grateful for..." and list five things you are grateful for. I did it off and on for a while, but for the last three years, I have been consistently keeping a gratitude journal. It is so amazing to go back and read some of the things I have documented. Whenever I may be feeling down or bummed out about something, I reread some of my entries, and they remind me that even when things may not be going my way, there is plenty to be grateful for.

This past week I started reading Rich Mullins: A Devotional Biography An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Bryan Smith, and as so often happens the book called me at the right time!

Rich Mullins is a well know Christian Music artist who was much more interested in making sure that people came to God than in making a big success out of his career. He was successful, but lived very modestly and shared his wealth supporting different organizations.One of the phenomenal things I have read about Rich is how awestruck he was by God's creation that he would write songs about it and praise God in that manner. He also learned to thank God not just for the beauty, blessings, successes, etc, but also for the pain, grief, loneliness, etc. That was a great lesson for me to revisit. Even in the hard times, we have opportunities to grow, and for that, we should give thanks.

Today on my walk, I decided to listen to a podcast by one of my favorite YA/Children's book authors, Jason Reynolds. It is called My Mother Made Me. The second episode was about... you guessed it! Gratitude. One idea that resonated with me is that "gratitude is a thing felt and given." He also said he thinks we should "exercise gratitude liberally because there's nothing too small to be grateful for." It can be as simple as saying "thank you" from the minute you wake up or a "thank you" for the breeze touching your cheek. Whether you thank God or not, just say "thank you." You can find Jason's podcast episode here.. They happened to be talking about birthdays and how his mom doesn't think she can get him any worthwhile gifts as he is now a grown adult.. He told her that a wonderful gift is knowing what people think about you. He said a handwritten letter with such a message would be so appreciated. That, of course, melted my heart. So if you receive a letter from me, a response will be greatly treasured. I love letter writing! You also do not have to wait for me to write to you! Reynolds told his mom to write him a letter that he can read as a gift now. He said he doesn't want to wait until she is gone to find a beautiful note from her. It was a great episode for sure.

Last night when I couldn't sleep, and I read Facebook and Instagram posts, I came across this song posted by an aunt of ours. Gratitude written by Benjamin Williams Hastings, Brandon Lake, and Dante Bow and recorded by Brandon Lake. Check it out!

To close out this week's post I would like to to share that—

Today I am grateful for:

• my faith in God instilled in me by my parents and formed with the help of many of you and your faith walks

• my family (the crazy big one and my nuclear one + one)

• my friends who are family

• my brain and the ability I have to read and write and countless things I take for granted like breathing or seeing

• the love I receive and the one I share

This Sunday in church we sang this song, and it solidified what I was to write about today.

Thank you!

Late night edit! I had intended on saying thank you for the Nashville officers who helped keep so many safe. Thank you to first responders and all who are working through the aftermath of this tragedy. Lifting all the families of the victims in prayer as well as those who were able to go home today. ❤️Nashville