Gratitude365

The fact that I’m blogging at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:00 a.m. like I usually do indicates just what kind of day today was. It’s been a productive day, yet nothing happened how or when I thought it would. In reality, though, does it ever?

Daily gratitude must be re-wiring my brain such that my propensity now is to just assume things are happening in God’s time, and that alone brings about a peaceful feeling. It also seems to have tempered my need to control outcomes, and that’s a huge personality change for the better. Practicing continual gratitude has opened my eyes to the wonder of a supreme being I call God, and the benefits are such that I want as much as I can possibly have.

When I start the day focused on my blessings, I feel a rich contentment, and I can maintain that feeling all day long if I want to. I dare say, I am happy. Could continual gratitude possibly be the key?

Delight yourself also in Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4

Over time, I’ve noticed that the more I practice gratitude, the easier it is to have patience and acceptance, especially when things don’t go as planned. This has been the case this week as we await test results that will determine whether we head south or stay put. Naturally, I have my druthers, but either way could possibly be an adventure, depending upon one’s perspective.🙏🏽

My premier winter ‘must have’ is warmth, and the RV’s furnace has already proven it’s working well.🙏🏽 If we had to spend the winter here, propane is practically ‘on demand’ with a quick email to the propane company that’s literally just down the road.🙏🏽 And—because there’s already been several nights of below freezing temps—we now have a heated hose that can stay connected to city water (as opposed to operating off of the water tank.)🙏🏽 I love the simple things of life.🙏🏽

Meanwhile, each day unfolds just as it was designed, never lacking for plenty of next-right-things to do to help pass the time.🙏🏽 Chores, of course, but also fun things like cooking (and eating comfort food), reading (currently, the fourth of five novels in the ‘Methodical’ series by Rebekah Roth), and knitting. The weather’s been lovely, so we’ve taken advantage of that, too, taking walks and going bike riding when possible.🙏🏽 I’ve been reminded what a rush ‘spontaneity’ can be, and I like it!🙏🏽 I’m learning to savor the moment.🙏🏽

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. ~Isaiah 26:3

Since we’re staying put indefinitely, I’m choosing to look at the bright side and “make hay while the sun shines,” as my mom used to say. Overall, the weather here in the Ozarks has been pretty good, and some days are particularly outstanding🙏🏽—yesterday being one of them. It was a perfect day to go downtown—somewhere we haven’t been all year—and I had the whole day planned out. First breakfast somewhere, then a stop at the Branson Centennial Museum, and then after that, some shopping. It would be perfect.

Starting out, the day had all the earmarks of a great day. Smooth sailing right into town, finding a great parking space, and getting seated immediately once inside the restaurant—which, by the way, was serving one of my favorites as the lunch special, fried chicken with all the fixings. We ordered our meals and sat back, taking in the surroundings. We’d never been to this restaurant before.

All of a sudden, the lights went out. Everyone stopped talking and looked around. It was obvious what had happened.

Just then the cook, wearing a headlamp atop his head, came out of the kitchen, our food in hand. He smiled as he placed the plates on the table and made a funny remark about the timing of a power outage. Since it was only a few minutes past 11 o’clock—just past breakfast and just before lunch—the restaurant was relatively empty and we ate our meals in tranquil bliss. It was some of the best fried chicken I’d ever eaten!🙏🏽

The door was propped open to allow fresh air to enter, and we soon found out from passersby that a blown transformer was the culprit. That meant that all the businesses in that area were temporarily closed. My plans for the day evaporated into thin air.

Experiencing downtown Branson coming to a sudden halt was an unexpected turn of events that brought unforeseen blessings. Store keepers and would-be customers made light of the situation that stopped all business. People smiled at one another and made small talk about the current state of things. There was a quiet acceptance of what was, and civility reigned. Of all days, I was grateful we chose that particular day to go downtown.🙏🏽 It was nice seeing people being nice to one another.

There were more blessings. Since it was such a pleasant day weather wise, we got our steps in by walking around a fair amount, and heaven only knows how much money I saved by being unable to shop. 🙏🏽 We discovered a great restaurant, Clocker’s Cafe😋 and I’m sure there will be another opportunity to go back downtown and do all the things I wanted to do. When the time is right.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. ~Proverbs 16:9

I have a knack for always managing to get into the slowest moving line at the checkout counter. Even if it had the fewest number of people at first, something would invariably happen to grind things down to a halt. Such was the case yesterday at Walgreens; things were moving along smoothly until the the elderly woman ahead of me began checking out. She apparently had two separate orders to ring up, two sets of coupons to present, and two separate payments to make. I watched the other line get shorter and shorter until finally all of those customers had been helped. Of course, while I debated whether or not to move, the lady ahead of me finished her transactions and it was my turn anyway.

Just as I was setting my purchases on the counter to be rung up, a man walked up to me and handed me a piece of paper. “Here’s a coupon for $5. I’m not going to use it; you go ahead.” Before I could thank him, he was out the door.

Any annoyance about the length of time I waited in line dissipated instantly,🙏🏽 and my attitude immediately was uplifted to one of gratitude.🙏🏽 Grateful for nice people and generous spirits.🙏🏽 Grateful for a renewed faith in humanity.🙏🏽 Grateful to be in the right place at the right time.🙏🏽 Things always seem to have a way of working out the way they’re supposed to.🙏🏽

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Psalm 68:19

The best thing I can say about tough times is that they rarely last forever.🙏🏽 And that’s a blessing, because they sure are hard as heck to go through at the time. Yet, over and over, the Bible instructs us to give thanks in those situations. How? It seems like that is easier said than done.

My own journey of recovery from alcoholism has definitely enhanced my sensitivity to and compassion for someone who’s going through addiction issues, and so in that regard, I’m grateful to be a recovering alcoholic. 🙏🏽When such demons affect someone I love, I want to learn everything I can about the problem so that I can better understand their behavior.🙏🏽 No one with any illness at all purposely chooses to have it. Thankfully, there is plenty on the internet about any given topic, plus books and podcasts, so there’s no excuse for remaining ignorant once a problem is detected. That–seeing a problem for what it is–is a blessing in and of itself.🙏🏽 Denying that one exists postpones recovery.

I used to think I was special and no one could possibly understand my problems, and that was why I drank like I drank. Recovery has taught me that while I may be special, I am not unique and neither are my problems.🙏🏽 Currently I’m traveling down a path that’s totally foreign to me, and I am learning so much–which in turn is helping me understand my loved one.🙏🏽What a relief to know that there are others who have experienced something similar and ate willing to share their solution. 🙏🏽Hearing Other People’s Experiences gives me HOPE. 🙏🏽And for that I am very grateful.

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. ~2 Corinthians 4:15

I’m grateful for my picture window which, in actuality, is the windshield of our motorhome.🙏🏽 I love gazing outside from the comfort of my recliner. A cold front moved through last night, bringing much needed rain.🙏🏽 It’s overcast and very windy; the few remaining leaves on the trees are fluttering so feverishly they almost twinkle, if not for their dark coloring. The temperature won’t get much above 50 damp degrees…typical November weather. I’m grateful I don’t have to go anywhere.🙏🏽 Home is my favorite place to be.🙏🏽

Such blustery conditions have apparently not quenched the spirits of the two little girls across the way who are camping with their grandparents. 🙏🏽 They have been out and about on their light-up scooters since daybreak, having the best time. I smiled as I watched them; it reminded me of being a kid myself, and how much I loved playing outdoors. I’m grateful for memories from the ‘good old days.’🙏🏽

I’m grateful for the reminder that, no matter the outside conditions, happiness resides within.🙏🏽

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. ~Psalm 19:8

We made the decision yesterday to delay our plans of heading south for the winter, and I’m grateful.🙏🏽 The peace I have about the decision far outweighs any disappointment I might have felt—and actually, there was little.🙏🏽 And actually, the decision was an easy one to make because it was the right thing to do. I’m grateful for easy.🙏🏽

Mental illness is a taboo subject that is hard for most people to discuss, but it shouldn’t be. An illness is an illness. I guess it’s easy for me to talk about because of my own issues.🙃 Recovery has taught me much.🙏🏽

Self-destructive behavior is a mental illness and witnessing it in someone we love is very frightening. And confusing. And very, very maddening. Facing facts, rather than turning a blind eye, takes a lot of courage. And surrender. And humility.

I’m grateful when the elephant in the room gets so big that it can no longer be ignored.🙏🏽 I’m grateful to know others have walked this road before, and that there is help.🙏🏽 I’m grateful there is hope.🙏🏽

Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life. ~ Rumi

Whilst praying my morning prayers this morning as is my habit, the thought of a man I’d worked with in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago popped in my head. Over the years I’d occasionally thought of George because he was a kindly man and a godly man. Thinking of him brought back good memories from a most devastating time. I find it funny that I have a lot of good memories from the experience of losing everything to Mother Nature.🙏🏽 As Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” George was one of the reasons it was the best of times, and I’m grateful our paths coincided.🙏🏽

Just a couple of weeks before the hurricane hit, I’d applied for a job at the Chamber of Commerce in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, but hadn’t heard back. After the hurricane, my husband and I were able to return to and then remain in BSL because we had a truck camper (later, a FEMA trailer.) The Chamber was desperate for help because it was providing assistance to those who’d lost both home AND business, and I was hired to assist volunteers who’d come to Ground Zero to lend a helping hand according to their expertise. George was the lead person for the team from the Small Business Administration (SBA) sent to help those who’d lost homes and businesses. The warehouse in which we operated housed the Chamber of Commerce on one half and the SBA on the other, so I saw him nearly every day.

George was a jolly, rotund man who was born and raised on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. He was personable, kind and always had a smile on his face. His culinary skills rivaled that of any French Quarter chef and his specialties always seemed to involve a lot of butter or cream. Or both. I once asked him for a copy of one of his savory recipes, and underneath the typed copy he gave me he’d written, Relax! Just don’t eat this everyday.

In time, we both eventually left BSL and went our separate ways. George was great at staying in contact with emails. His job with the SBA required him to go wherever disaster struck, so he did a lot of traveling. And because of where he had to go, his living conditions were never good and oftentimes demanding. His emails were usually long and descriptive and he had a peculiar knack for relating it all to something Biblical. I always liked reading George’s emails. They were uplifting. Getting an email from George was like having a long visit with a dear friend.

Anymore these days, whenever the thought of someone I hadn’t thought of in a while comes to mind out of the blue, I take it as a signal to act. So I went through my emails and saw that the last one I’d gotten from George was received September 2018. It was buried in junk mail and hadn’t ever been opened, so I read it. It was typical George—lengthy, descriptive, thought provoking. It made me wonder if he was still alive, so I did a search. I discovered George passed away in February 2020, just before the onset of covid, and the realization saddens me. The world lost a very bright light that day.

I’m grateful for the inner prompts that inspire me to act.🙏🏽 I’m grateful for adverse situations and challenges that somehow provide the opening to meeting kind-hearted souls we wouldn’t have met otherwise.🙏🏽 I’m grateful for the emails from George, all of which I’ve now put into a separate folder and will read someday.🙏🏽 I’m grateful for all the Georges (and Georgettes) in my life who’ve left an indelible imprint upon my heart.🙏🏽

For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. ~2 Corinthians 4:15

I am writing this on Thanksgiving Day, 2022. For me, today is very much like any other day, the only real difference being that I’ve received and sent quite a few “Happy Thanksgiving “ wishes to friends and family. I’m grateful for those very special people in my life.🙏🏽

This is the first Thanksgiving in many years that it’s just my husband and me and our pups. It’s currently raining quite hard, and the only sound heard inside the RV is the white noise whirring from the dehumidifier. Its quiet. It’s peaceful. I’m happy.🙏🏽

I’m grateful that I’ve got nowhere to go today.🙏🏽 The windy country roads around here are challenging enough in good conditions, let alone rainy ones. Days like today are a good reason to stay inside and write, or read, or knit—all of which I’ll probably do today.🙏🏽 And drink hot chocolate while doing so.🙏🏽

And when dinner time comes, we won’t have turkey. Instead, it’ll be comfort food of some sort. I’ve got nothing particular in mind; I just know we’ve got plenty of food, and that we’ve always eaten well.🙏🏽 I’m free of any expectation, as far as food is concerned.🙏🏽 What a blessing it is to know that everything will fall perfectly into place, somehow, someway.🙏🏽

I’m especially grateful for a reminder received earlier this morning from a certain friend: the blessing of sobriety this holiday. 🙏🏽 I admonished myself for forgetting to include that in my blessings, but I’m grateful that not drinking has become such a way of life, I hardly ever think about it anymore.🙏🏽 Still, I never want to forget how bad things used to be because of my behavior; that very unpleasant thought helps keep me sober.🙏🏽

The practice of daily gratitude can make every day Thanksgiving, because there’s ALWAYS something to be thankful for!🙏🏽

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ~Colossians 2:6-7

The ways God puts people in our lives never ceases to amaze me.

I recently met a woman whose world had drastically changed within the past year, and we’ve walked together a couple of times. Almost immediately we discovered that we had something in common: she’s from St. Louis, too. Once a jet-setting flight attendant for a major airlines, she now lives in a one-bedroom cottage in a small Arkansas country town that her mother owns, raising chickens and canning—two things she’d never done previously. She does it now to survive. She has no idea what her future holds.

In spite of her circumstances, she is one of the few truly happy people I know…especially these days. She’s grateful for her current journey despite it not being one that she would’ve chosen for herself, and she’s especially grateful for everything she’s learning. She’s got a generous heart and shares what she does have—eggs—and they are so good.

My newfound friend’s gumption is inspiring, and I’m grateful our paths crossed when they did; it was serendipitous, and definitely orchestrated by God.🙏🏽 I’m grateful for strangers who become friends.🙏🏽

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Thessalonians 1:3