Gratitude with Attitude!

​If you ask my mother, she will tell you I have always had a “tiny bit of an attitude”.  In our house, we call it “being sassy”  Maybe it stems from the time I was at a formal dinner party with great aunts and uncles and the hostess asked if I would like brussels sprouts.  Apparently answering with a polite, “No Way, Jose”  simply wasn’t acceptable.  In my defense, I was 3. Regardless, I still faced a time out.


What, if anything,  does my lack of appreciation for a green vegetable have to do with present day circumstances?  Kind of everything! Bear with me for just a few moments while I share what I’m learning from “forced timeouts” this year.


Everywhere I seem to look during this season of life, the answer seems to be : “No Way!”
Want to take that trip of a lifetime?:  No Way, not this year.
Want to have 200 people at your wedding?: Don’t even think about it.
Want to shop without a mask? Probably not going to happen.


Many, many days are so overwhelming that it’s hard to focus long enough to find the proverbial silver linings.
But they are there.  God keeps on sending them.  The ‘kicker’?:  We actually have to look for them, with our eyes, our minds, our hearts…


So here’s what I’ve been really, truly SEEing lately:

• I’ve learned to be grateful for the time that my high school juniors are studying at home.  I am able to bear witness to their daily interactions with friends and teachers while they work their way through 11th grade material.  (Did I mention TEACHERS?  I’m so grateful for them!)
• I’ve been reminded that driving my daughter all over the West Michigan area to find a Covid test yielded more time for great conversation.  Soon she will be on her own, and those conversations won’t be as frequent.
• I’ve watched my own small neighborhood throw a socially-distanced Halloween party, and for the first time in 5 years, I ran out of candy! (That led me to be grateful I didn’t “have” to finish the leftovers).
• I’ve cultivated a greater affinity for Teams meetings.  While they aren’t the same as in-person work meetings, I have  been able to meet so many family pets!
• My appreciation and adoration for Healthcare workers, front line service providers, my lovely UPS friend and TEACHERS (just wanted to mention them one more time! 😊), has grown enormously.
• I enjoyed every minute I could of the beautiful summer weather.  (Rainy days bring rainbows, right?!)

And what about a reminder from The Apostle Paul—a man who had learned the meaning of true thanksgiving, even in the midst of great adversity?!  While imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20).


In no way have I forgotten that the world is full of suffering and sadness.  But I refuse to silence my gratitude.   Even my heartache draws me closer to God.




If I have a point it’s this:
The ability to be grateful for any given situation, is always available to us.  It’s not always easy, but it’s possible.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
 
-Kristin


(PS:  I still don’t like brussel sprouts, but I’ll keep working to appreciate them!)