Day 93 Gratitude…

I love to give thanks! First and always to my good and faithful God, then to my family, my friends, my colleagues, and all who I interact with every day. I love expressing sincere and specific gratitude to others. It costs nothing, it gives me great joy, and…it might just be the word of encouragement that someone needs most in a given moment. 

Today I am grateful for a week of kairos moments. Four days in NYC with my family and my precious grandbaby Jack. I am grateful for long walks in Central Park in early Spring with my family, filled with meaningful conversation along the way. I am grateful for the gift of a baby’s sweet voice and laughter. I am grateful for time with my colleagues and friends this week who spoke meaningful words of encouragement to me…I am beyond humbled. And I am so grateful that my brother Chet is here for another ride around the sun after his HA anniversary. 

As I write this reflection on today’s BBTL entry, I am grateful for the fresh air, the sunshine, and the beautiful song of a cardinal outside my open door. I am grateful for the rebirth of nature as Spring is at long last bursting forth in central Ohio. In short, I could go on and on listing all the beautiful things I am grateful for. And yet, there is more. There is a type of gratitude that requires courage. 

I am learning to be grateful for the hard stuff of life. For trials and pain. For loss. This is not a natural human response, nor is it my second nature. Rather this type of gratitude is only discovered through building a strong Core and standing through MOT’s. For me this gratitude is grounded in my Worldview. I believe that God uses both blessings and challenges to grow me spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and professionally. I believe we live in a fallen, broken world that is longing to be redeemed so trials and challenges are part of the gig. I have learned to be thankful for the tough stuff, even though I don’t always understand the why…one Day I will. And I am grateful for that understanding and belief. 

What are you grateful for, my friend? It’s good to give thanks for all the positive stuff in life. Are you able to also give thanks for the tough stuff, the raw deal, the betrayal, or the loss you’ve experienced that have shaped who you are and who you are becoming? Write what you are feeling and thinking. Weave your Worldview and Identity into your sense of gratitude, then please share with your Builder. Together we transform. Always together. 

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.    

Numbers 6:24-26