Thankful Thursday

Sometimes, in today's age, the idea of thankfulness is a long forgotten concept. Sure, we are thankful when something good happens, but in the mundane, everyday whirl wind of life, it can often become easy and second nature to grumble and increasingly difficult to be thankful. Or take that a step further, be thankful for the not-so-pleasant things in life.

This concept is something that God has really been laying on my heart and teaching and challenging me on. Being thankful for EVERYTHING! And I mean everything. But as I started doing this (and I'm still a long way off from being proficient at this ideal) I found that there was a mind shift that happened. I started to see the light in the dark moments. I started to see (or chose to see may be more accurate, I'm not entirely sure) the blessings to be thankful for in the midst of the hard times.

For example: I'm changing the millionth poopy diaper on a kicking and squirming child, "Thank you Jesus for a healthy baby who has limbs to kick around and who's body is working properly". I'm cleaning the floor of food and drink spilled, "Thank you Jesus for food to feed my family". We are running late for an outing, "Thank you Jesus for a vehicle to drive, to get us safely to our destination". We have $3.00 left in our account and bills due in the next couple days "Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to see the miracle of provision by your generous hand".

The list could go on, and has gone on. I do find it easier to say "thank you" when those big things happen that are exciting and wonderful and filled with happiness. It's easier to say thank you for the paycheque when it's in your hands, than it is to say thank you for the job that you are believing is coming that will then produce said paycheque, when you are currently uncertain of how you will buy groceries. I believe that character is grown in us when we can choose to be thankful in the not so glamours times, the dark times, the hard times, even the times we wish we could forget.

Thus, in endeavouring to be more regular with my blog, and with sharing a bit more of who I am, I am beginning a weekly "Thankful Thursday", where I hope that you will join me in thinking through our day and week and can stop and be truly thankful for the good, and not so good, things that we are in the midst of. A thankful heart can make all the world of difference in our outlook on life, emotions, spirituality, mood and even health. A thankful heart is a happy heart, and a happy heart is a healthy heart. I don't know about you, but I want a healthy heart, in all senses of the word :)

Today I'm thankful for my husband. His hard-working ethic to provide for his family. How he keep pushing, even when he doesn't feel like it. I'm thankful for how he helps with our girls and around the house and has such a servant heart which blesses me abundantly.

I'm thankful for my girls. For their laughter, crazy antics, vibrancy, love that they have for each other and for Hayden and I, and for basically everyone they meet. They show and teach me what true grace, forgiveness, friendship and kindness looks like.

I'm thankful for good friends that share life with me and give life to me and allow me to do the same with them.

I'm thankful for health. In the current midst of sickness whirling around us on seemingly all fronts, I'm thankful for a healthy body and healthy family.

I'm thankful for new opportunities that are opening up before me. For new paths to venture on, new friends to make, and a new season to drink up.

I'm thankful for longer hours of sunlight, vitamin D and warmer weather that is now beginning. For the thaw that is the whisper of Spring and the dreams of warmth, fresh fruit and all things summery and lovely.

I know today these are all "nice" things I'm thankful for. And that's ok! There will be times when it'll be much harder to be thankful, but in this moment, this season, however long or short it may be, I look around and can sigh and smile and keep pushing through to tomorrow.

What are you thankful for today?

Keep moving forward my friend. The sun will come out tomorrow.

~Aryn