We hear it all the time
“be thankful for the little things” or “its the small things in life that really bring joy”. I think most of us use these phases pretty flippantly. Yes we do need to be thankful for the little things, but what does that really look like? How does that tangibly translate in our lives?
Man, I really want to give you some kind of black and white answer,
but the truth is it’s different for everyone. It’s probably even different from situation to situation. How my thankfulness shows through and how my husbands does is very different. (that seems to cause miscommunication from time to time) I really can’t tell what your thankful heart should look like, all I can do is tell you about mine.
We were challenged in The Reality of a Thankful Heart to make a list every day of 5 things we are thankful for. One of the things on my list is how happy my kids are to play alone. I know that sounds weird but hear me out. I struggle with feeling lonely when I’m alone. Worrying that my friends are leaving me out on purpose. I am scared that I am going to miss something, anything. These anxieties have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I was terrified that my kids would have endure the same self-inflicted pain.
To watch them sit quietly on the floor in their room and do a puzzle or ride a bike past the kitchen window while everyone else is playing trucks in the living room. These things make my heart thankful. How can you tell? I smile when the little boy rides in front of my kitchen window, make him a snack that he can eat on his bike. Sometimes there is an extra few dollars in the grocery budget and I buy another Elsa puzzle, not because we need one. But because of the smile on her face.
How can you show your thankfulness in a tangible way?
Not just for you, but for the encouragement of those around you.
