In trying to overcome a good amount of frustration and disappointment, I challenged myself recently with somewhat of a gratitude exercise. I absolutely know there are plenty of things in my life to be very thankful for, and I regularly offer prayers of thanksgiving. But I’m not always as thoughtful about it as I should be. So, I have been trying to be more aware of especially the smaller gifts that come along and to truly acknowledge my gratitude.
Not long ago I opened the back hatch of my car to bring in my groceries. As I lifted a bag with several glass jars inside, one of the cloth handles tore off the bag. The bag began to fall while I was still holding the broken handle. Somehow, I caught the bag on its way down, and I remember saying out loud, “Thank you, Lord.” Had I not caught the bag, I would have been cleaning up broken glass and sauce off my driveway for quite a while. It seemed like a small thing, and it was definitely a quick thing, but I was truly grateful.
During another recent outing to the store, I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in years. We had served at a church together for over 20 years. I was on my way into the store as she was on her way out. This store is far from her neighborhood, but she happened to be in the area. As it had been many years ago, my soul was lifted just getting to chat with her for a short time. I spent the afternoon marveling at our chance meeting and being very grateful. Had my morning errands gone any differently, I would have missed her.
It has been helpful for me to recognize these gifts. I think it’s similar to gratitude journals or reflecting at the end of the day and noting these special moments. I bought a baby outfit on sale the other day. When it rang up, it was more on sale than I thought! At this little nice surprise, I again heard myself saying, “Thank you, Lord.” These little ‘thank you’ moments are all around us, even in the midst of hardships and struggles. They remind me that I’m not forgotten, that there are big and small blessings in my life, and that God is present. They may not take away pain or fix a problem, and things will still go wrong, but each one serves as a small, brief break—an interruption to provide something good.
Journeying to Grace 