Gratitude. Do you find it hard to embrace as a habit? I do.
I’m more naturally a whiner. Complaining feels so cathartic to me — at the time I’m doing it — that I’ve allowed grousing to become ingrained in my Debbie fiber.
The old gray mare remembers what she used to be. And mourns the loss.
The gray mare conundrum resonated with me recently when I spent time with my grands, two preteens and one teen. They’re all into competitive tennis now (which used to be my forte sport). The 14-year-old has far surpassed my level, but he’s so tender-hearted, when he plays against me, he omits the wicked topspin and hits the ball right to me, rather than witness the pathetic spectacle of me waddling after the ball. I can still keep up with the 9-year-old twins, but just barely.
So, the temptation for me is to whine. About my painful arthritic toe, my newly replaced knees that don’t realize they’re not supposed to ache anymore (hey, how can a metal joint hurt?), chronic fatigue, sleeplessness, excessive rain, the rheumatiz (as my granny called it), my inability to shed those extra pounds that plague my bones. Yada, yada.
But I don’t want to whine anymore. Maybe my outsides are whine-worthy, but my insides yearn to be a thing of beauty and a joy forever, as my granny used to say. My spirit doesn’t have to reflect the darkness of the yucky stuff I wallow in. No, I choose to shine with the glow of gratitude to my Creator for His marvelous works. Even the marvelous work that is me.
A warm breath, a steady heartbeat, blood flowing, brain working (mostly), a house to live in, people I love and who love me, a doggy friend to cuddle, a church family, heart friends, chocolate and sunshine on my skin. For starters. So much to be grateful for. So much to dwell on. If I choose to.
I can make each day Thanksgiving because, “The Lord pours down his blessings,” (Psalm 85:12 NLT). And I acknowledge this. Daily.
How about you, dear BFF (Blessed Friend Forever)? Are you tempted to overlook everyday gratitude and dwell on all the whine-worthy stuff instead? How can you make every day Thanksgiving?
