At 6:30 this morning, she joyfully bounced downstairs, Teddy Bear in hand. Usually she crawls into my lap and snuggles while rubbing her eyes and letting her precious mind wake up. Today she skipped past the cuddles and went straight to the question she so confidently thought she knew the answer to. "Mommy, did they cancel school today?"
"No honey," I replied. "The heaviest snow isn't supposed to start flying until this afternoon."
Instantly the confident smile fell from her face, and in one swift turn she stomped off to her bedroom to get ready for school. I didn't even get my morning hug and kiss from her. She was angry.
To be six years old again…
I remember all too well those countless mornings in Idaho when my brothers and I would sit closely to the radio as we ate our Cheerios, hoping to hear a snow day announcement. And I recall the frequent temper driven stomping I did as I bundled up to make my way outside to our bus stop. I never understood how it could be a major blizzard outside and yet school would still be in session. Never mind that the roads were clear and it was actually only lightly snowing.
Funny how, even as adults, we tend to inflate a seemingly bad situation to be much worse than it actually is. We throw our own little emotional temper tantrum when we don't get our way. When our prayers aren't answered. When life doesn't go smoothly.
I wonder if God watches us the same way I watched my daughter this morning. Is He sad when we stomp off and forget to greet Him for the day? Is He shaking his head wondering why we are so upset about something that isn't worth throwing a fit over?
Gratitude has been heavy on my mind the past several months. One of the ways I've been able to cope emotionally through my husband's season of unemployment has been by switching my focus away from the perception of unanswered prayer. Instead, I've started intentionally looking for the everyday blessings and gifts God is consistently pouring over us.
So I was intrigued when I discovered the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. In the book, Ann reminds us that life is not an emergency. To live fully, we need to live with gratitude. We need to slow down and take it all in. We need to be thankful, obedient, loving children of God. That's our purpose.
Today is the first Monday of 2012. Each Monday throughout the year I will be posting my 1,000 gifts update. Will you take the challenge with me or join me on the journey?
- A new day, a new year, a fresh start
- My husband, a really good man, who loves me no matter what
- Two beautiful, healthy children
- Parents who love me unconditionally
- A healthy body and mind
- A comfortable home, filled with love and laughter
- Technology that makes life an adventure
- Running water
- Faith's heart for God and the way she innocently ministers to others
- God being powerfully present in my life
- God's guidance through the process of bringing good from our unsettling unemployment circumstances
- Peace with the uncertainty of what the future holds, and the understanding that God's plan is better than anything I could create on my own.
- The sound of my dad's laugh
For more inspiration, visit Ann at One Thousand Gifts.
What are you grateful for this beautiful day?
~Until next time, may God bless you with eyes to see His overflowing love for you!
Rosann Cunningham
Latest posts by Rosann Cunningham (see all)
- Staycations Offer Family Fun! - May 17, 2013
- A Letter to My Future Son-in-Law - May 15, 2013
- Beauty is More Than Skin Deep - May 14, 2013
 |
Rosann,
I've been on this gratitude journey with Ann Voskamp for a while. It really changed my perspective on how I walk through every day life! I'm glad you are doing the Mondays! I haven't done them in a while because I was so sick, but I'm going to get back into doing the gratitude posts on Mondays again!! I love her book, One Thousand Gifts.
Love you, sister!
~Erin
Thanks Erin! I've been keeping my list of gifts for a few weeks now, but decided to wait until the beginning of the year to start posting about it here. I read her book too. Great message.
Love you too!
Rosann
This is so beautiful! I always try to remember three things every day that I am thankful for and to take a moment to thank God for all the gifts He has provided me. To write it down in a list sounds like a great idea. I can't wait to continue reading all that you are grateful for in your life!
TyKes Mom, thanks for stopping by! It sounds like you have a great start to counting your blessings.
Wonderful reminder. I always try to remember that actions speak louder than words when teaching our children. We can ask them to say, "Please and thank you" a thousand times a day, but they will only learn gratitude when we practice it. Great post and a wonderful practice. XO
I am so thankful that He is continually opening my eyes to all that I have to be grateful for. I've been on a journey counting my gifts for a bit now. Still have a ways to go. It will be wonderful to read your gratitude list each Monday!!!
Okay, there goes another book added to my "must buy" my list.
I'd like to join you in this challenge. I try to live with an attitude of gratitude. Most of the time I succeed however I do fall short sometimes. Building a 1000 strong list of the things I'm grateful for really appeals to me. Thank you for inspiring me to do this. Is there a set number for each week? Should I double up next Monday or post it late? Let me know.
Taylor, I'm so glad you found this inspiring. You can absolutely join in and there's not really any rules to it. It's every Monday and you write a post, then list the things you're grateful for. What I'm doing is keeping a list throughout the week and then referring to it when I write my post. Just make sure you go out to One Thousand Gifts or Holy Experience website to pick up the button graphic so you can include it at the end of your post so your readers know where the idea came from and can also join in. You can also go out to their website and link up by adding your blog URL. I've already gotten some extra site traffic from doing that. The link up at Holy Experience is working.
Have fun!
~Blessings,
Rosann
Rosann, I am just like a kid when it comes to snow. If there is even a flake in the sky, I want them to cancel school and let me snuggle with my babies on the couch. I wonder what my life would be like if I watched for God with the same level of anticipation and ran to snuggle up with Him on the couch the moment I caught sight of Him.