Memories

My friend Rixie over at The Life and Times of Rixie the 4th started a wonderful tradition a few Novembers ago of Random Thankfulness.  She talks about how after a few days of posting about the big things to be thankful for ~ like our Salvation, our families, and our freedom ~ people seem to flounder a bit to find equally significant things to talk about.  She challenges us to think about the little things, like woolly socks on a cold day and give thanks to God for these small blessings.

I love thinking about the little things.  Things like a fluffy comforter coming out of the dryer all warm. 

A quiet moment exchanging snuffle kisses with a rabbit.

Watching the patterns of the sunlight as it filters through the trees on the back hill.  

An unexpected visit from neighborhood turkeys.








You can be sure I will be sharing plenty of these moments this month.

I have a lot of big things for which to be thankful, too.  Salvation. 

My own Bible in my own language.

                              My family.

A good church with a pastor who is faithful to preach the Word of God.

 

You will be hearing about some of these things too.

I am also thankful for the times of illness, of pain, of weakness, of sleeplessness, of grief and of sorrow.  Not only do they better help me appreciate the other times, but the difficult times themselves are a gift from God.

I will be sharing my heart on those things as well.

Today however I want to talk about being thankful for remembering to be thankful.

During times of illness, you appreciate the well times much more than those who have never been ill.  Living with chronic pain, you have a greater appreciation for those moments of being pain free.  When you can't walk on your own power, or struggle to keep from falling when you try, you find greater joy in those days when you move without even having to think about it.  In times of sleeplessness, the mornings you wake up and realize that you slept soundly through the entire night are such a blessing.

When I have had those moments I have realized how little I remember to be thankful for the days when I feel healthy or pain-free, or mobile, or when I sleep soundly.  It is easy to slip into taking these things for granted.  I have asked the Lord to help me remember to better appreciate  the good moments.  Some days I will be working around the house and have to stop and sit down for a moment and rejoice in the blessing of being able to move without thinking about it and of feeling healthy and strong.  There is a lot of joy in those moments.  There is a great peace and contentment in the hard times when I can look back and see thankfulness during the easier times.

Thankfulness changes me.  When my heart sings praise to the God who created me and saved me, then I am in His will and in that, He is honored.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.   I Thessalonians 5:16-18