Choosing Gratitude

I woke up on the right side of the bed today.  A fresh new beginning!  What a blessing God had the wisdom to give them to us every 24 hours!

Yet quickly things could have gone downhill.  The 3 year old exploded a new bag of powdered sugar all over the kitchen while I did a messy science experiment with the 2nd grader.  A utilities worker showed up to tell me my meter had stopped working who knows how long ago - signaling a massive bill showing up in the future.  My son's attitude plummeted after school and we argued hotly about lawn mowing and responsibilities.  Everywhere I look it seemed I saw disorder and chaos.

Yes, depending on the moment, things around here can be less than smooth.  But it's in the choosing that I find that morning-fresh perspective.  The choosing to hear "It's a great day!" exclamation from my 3 year old and to just sweep up the sugar mess without comment or criticism.  The choosing to see how much her reading is improving and how grown she is, making lunch for the family.  The choosing to set aside anxiety about company arriving tomorrow and just let tomorrow take care of itself - and just live today, choosing the next right thing, one tiny step at a time.

This life is tough enough.  Letting every hiccup, every bump in the road derail the whole operation is not an option.  A good day, a grateful life, depends on refusing to make mountains out of molehills.  Even when the molehills feel more like mole mountainsides.

A good life may not be a smooth life.  A joy-filled life may not be an uncomplicated one.  And when I adjust my focus, I can see it everywhere I look throughout the day - this is fine.  This is good.  Life is a grand mixture of mess and mayhem with moments of raw beauty.  And when I wrap it all up, the good and the bad and the in between in one giant bundle tied with a bow of gratitude, I can start to see this life how He does:  Overflowing with unrelenting grace.  And me, just a bystander in awe of a life I couldn't possibly deserve but have been blessed with just the same.

In choosing gratitude, the trajectory of this day changes, and together we spin onward toward joy.

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