Practice Being Thankful
Photo taken by Jason Sanders
Life is a constant rollercoaster…literally. I can be honest and say that in the low parts of life, it’s very hard to be thankful. I know I’m not the only that has been told since childhood to count your blessings. We KNOW we should do it. Then life happens and next thing you know you’re trying to find your way.
I’m very thankful for a lot and have no trouble expressing gratitude except for one area of my life…the circumstances surrounding my daughter. If you’ve read my blog, you know that McKenzie is a 25 week micro preemie born with a lot of complications. Those complications didn’t stop just because she got discharged. Being completely transparent here, I feel like we’ve been “stuck” for 20 months and counting. No BS…literally stuck.
Last week, we got some great news and I lifted my head up enough to truly see how far we’ve come. Next month will be her last physical and occupational therapy sessions. THANK YOU JESUS! I cried tears of joy on the drive home. In total we’ve had 19 months of occupational therapy and 13 months of physical therapy.
My next thoughts may surprise you. I put my head back down and started thinking about how far we have to go, the doctors I need to reach out to, dietician I need to email, upcoming feeding specialist appointment, etc. My mind was in overdrive and it usually is daily.
Then God spoke to me and said, “Calm your mind. I am with you. Stop and be thankful for the blessings along the way. There are blessings in the low parts of life if you truly open your eyes.” I’d been so focused on what’s next and how far we have to go that I never stopped and smelled the roses.
In a stuck moment, it’s hard to see beyond the obstacles and looming fears. Easier said than done but this is a good time to be grateful. Grateful for what doesn’t have us stuck and progress in those stuck areas.
Being thankful during the bad times takes practice and like you, I need to practice. When you can’t think of what to be thankful for, start with just being alive.