Tonight has been a totally average night at our house. I mean, I know this probably sounds super glamorous, but I made homemade pizza for supper, we cleaned up the kitchen, I answered a few emails, and currently Hazel the dog and I are snuggled up on the guest room bed so that I can do some writing while I simultaneously watch a football game. My husband has fallen asleep in his recliner (#40sAreCrazy), and Alex is watching a TV show on my iPad. We’re not doing anything special, we’re not in the middle of a meaningful family activity, and we might even be prioritizing our relaxation more than usual considering that it’s a weeknight.
BUT OH MY GOODNESS. A few minutes ago I stopped typing and just sat here for a few minutes on this non-eventful night when we certainly wouldn’t win any prizes for adventure or excitement. I know it sounds strange, but I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and contentment. On the surface I totally get that it might seem like we’re so boring that you kind of want to cry, but I promise, there is so much to be thankful for right here in the middle of the mundane.
- We’re together.
- We love each other, even when we drive each other crazy.
- We love being home.
- There is peace in this house.
- I was in my pajamas by five o’clock this afternoon.
- When I’m home, I feel total freedom to be my nerdiest, goofiest self. This is such a gift.
- We’re committed to each other. We’re committed to this family.
- The Lord really is our joy, our hope, and our strength.
- It rained twice this week.
- We love to laugh together.
- My husband and I have known each other since we were children, and we still haven’t run out of things to talk about.
- This stage of motherhood is my favorite so far.
- I get to write books. I don’t think I’ll ever get over that.
- There’s a container of Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups in the kitchen. In case of emergency, you understand.
And here’s why I mention all of that.
It’s so easy to get caught in a pattern of being grateful for the big things. Of course it’s good to be grateful, period, and there are times when it’s flat-out easier to be grateful because so many fantastic things are happening.
But here’s what I challenge you to do: Today—which might be ordinary, might be spectacular, or might be terrible (I hope not, though), go somewhere and sit by yourself for fifteen or twenty minutes. Take your journal. And take that time to actively practice gratitude. Make a list. Remind yourself how the Lord is providing for you in different areas of your life. And as best you can, try to think about the everyday gifts that you might be tempted to take for granted. Maybe it’s the fact that you ran into a friend on the way to class, or maybe you unexpectedly had time to meet your mom for lunch, or maybe the clouds parted and the angels sang and you actually managed to take a nap this afternoon.
Sometimes we think we’ll finally be content when we have everything we want, but true contentment comes when we’re grateful for what we already have. The Lord loves you so much. Thank Him for His good gifts today.
1. Does gratitude come naturally to you?
2. What’s a situation where you’ve been especially grateful lately? Maybe the restoration of a relationship? Or an answer to a specific prayer? Or a way that the Lord has provided?
3. Are you generally a content person? Or do you typically have a “want to or need to” list in the back of your head? Explain.
4. You know that gratitude list I suggested you write in your journal? Did anything you listed take you by surprise? Was there anything small or seemingly unimportant that you realized you’re really grateful for?
Today’s Prayer