An Attitude of Gratitude
Hello there! It has been too long again, and I have had this topic on my mind for a while now. Today I encourage you to meditate on “gratitude” and what it really means to express a grateful attitude every day.
An entire week has already passed since Easter, and it was during the time leading up to Easter that this word stuck in my mind. After spending time with my extended family at Easter (who I have not seen in a few YEARS) I felt even more inclined to write on this topic. I love my family dearly and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with them. I rarely see my grandparents, and spending time with them at Easter was especially sweet. We never know how many of those moments we will have.
I go into each and every day thanking God for the absolute gift that the day is to me, and for what is to come that day. I honestly believe that starting the day off with the right attitude and perspective sets the course all that follows. (Even when I don’t feel like it. Let’s be honest here, I am not what some would call a “morning person.” Haha!)
Our kids had spring break from school starting March 31st. We decided to take a long weekend trip this year to Kansas City. If you know us well, you likely already know that the timing of this trip lined up with the MN Twins baseball schedule, and we wanted to take the kids to Kauffman Stadium to watch the Twins play the Royals. Our kids absolutely love taking road trips and spending time in the car (no sarcasm here - they really do)!
In addition to taking a family road trip, it was extra special because we had friends (who we have been close to since high school) meet us there with two of their daughters. We love traveling, and we especially love traveling with friends! Our entire trip was sweet, creating lasting memories for each of us. The kids were each gifted a baseball from the players/coaches before the baseball game started and that was a great start to that day! The hot sun was shining, and we each came home with a pink kiss of the sun as a souvenir. :-)
Patiently waiting for our table at Jack Stack Barbecue!
I have developed an even deeper appreciation for people this past year. Friends who have supported, encouraged, and simply been there for us through this journey toward healing are invaluable. I am grateful that our family has been blessed with such amazing friendships.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”
Sometimes it is hard to express gratitude, and I am certainly not immune to feeling down and disappointed. I came across an Instagram post a few months ago and there was a person speaking to this very point. She indicated that sometimes we need to speak to our soul and encourage our own mind to shift directions toward gratitude. Sometimes all we have is a forced hallelujah, but I promise that if you start praising God through your storm He WILL come through for you. If you don’t believe me, just try it for yourself and watch Him work.
While I was beginning my journey into Chemotherapy a group of friends from the worship team I serve on at my church recorded a song for me, and I would like to share it. I played this song nearly every time I went in for treatment. This song brings me to tears every time I listen to it.
“So come on my soul, oh, don’t you get shy on me. Lift up your song, ‘cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord!”
I realize that I probably shared this in the past, however, our world could use the reminder that gratitude is powerful. Even when we don’t think we have much to offer, even the smallest expression of gratitude can spark a blaze and change the course of a day, week, year, or lifetime.
