There is something about November that causes us to pause, look around, and express our gratitude for the blessings we have in our life. We list off things like our health, our family, our friends – all those big things that can sometimes easily be taken for granted because they seem to always be there. But what about the smaller things? The blessings that are easy to overlook because of their seemingly insignificant nature.
For the last several months I gave myself a challenge: Write down one thing each day for which I am thankful. I wanted to stay away from anything basic like a house to live in or my health but choose specific moments from specific days, no matter how small or insignificant they might seem to people on the outside.
I started on August first and I’m using a simple monthly planner to track my moments. Some days I feel like adding a little doodle, others are just words. I have days when I filter through a list of countless options to choose my favorite and other days when I struggle to think of a moment from the day that I’m thankful for. Total honesty. I also had a span when I forgot to pull out my planner and then I had to reach back through my mom-fog memories to find moments. Yeah, that doesn’t work so well so I have a few blank days. Oops!
This simple practice is now part of my morning routine. I get up and stumble out of the bedroom to the kitchen. Light on, coffee poured, I sit at the table and unload my bag. I pull out my Bible, devotional, study book, notebook, and planners. My monthly planner comes out first and I think back to the day before to come up with my grateful moment. Now, I could do this at night so the day is fresh in my mind but I’ve found I prefer doing it in the morning so it’s not quite as fresh. At night I’m often still frustrated by that child that didn’t listen at bedtime. Or upset that I didn’t get to-do list finished. Or focused on this that and the other thing. In the morning my mind is clear of the clutter from the day before and tends to remember the good, not the bad.
What have I learned from this challenge? I am really bad about saying “Thank you” to God for the little things. I remember his big blessings in my prayers and I remember the answered prayers. But how often do I thank him for the rain as it’s pitter-pattering on the windows or playing a board game with my kids. Do I remember to say thank you that we could build with LEGO together or that I got the chance to bed extra early? These are normal, everyday, easy to forget moments but I am SO VERY GRATEFUL that each of them happened.
And that’s why I’m challenging you. Join me in the small moments gratitude challenge. Starting now, you can sign up for a 5-day email challenge. Each morning you will receive an email from me with a few thoughts and daily verse – plus some fun surprises! Your job is to write down what small moment you are grateful for that day. If you want to email me back to tell me – awesome! I’d love to hear your moment each day, seriously!
Are you ready to take the challenge? What tips do you have for maintaining an attitude of gratitude?
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