Time goes by so fast.
Our days. They go by so.dang.fast.
We have our day to day routines. On Monday we wish it was Friday. On Wednesday we think about having two more days left of the week. On Sunday we wish we had more weekend.
It’s an endless cycle.
A cycle of busy, busy, busy, on-the-go lives. A cycle of stress and to-do lists and not knowing if we’ll make it. Not knowing how long we’ll last.
We get overwhelmed in the busyness of our days. We have commitments, we have plans. We have responsibilities. We have lives to live.
But in that busyness, in those twelve months out of the year? How many of those 365 days do we have a thankful heart? How many of those days do we count our blessings rather than count our problems?
I’m guilty of this. I find myself so often complaining about my to-do list, and the lack of time we have in a day. I find myself wondering how time goes by so fast, and wondering where the year went.
I caught myself last week.
I went to get my oil changed in my car. When I was finished, I went up to the counter to pay, and the mechanic said “your total will be $79.”
Immediately I was annoyed and frustrated with how much it costs to get just my oil changed in my car.
But then something inside caught myself, and as I was leaving, I felt so beyond thankful.
I was thankful to get my oil changed, HOW CRAZY AND WEIRD IS THAT?!
I without thinking thanked God. I thanked Him for providing me with $79 to be able to even pay for such a minor thing, but a minor thing that helps me to be able to get to places, see the world, and do what I love every single day.
I realized not everyone has $79 that they can put towards their car. Some don’t even have the privilege of having a car. And the fact that I do? I cannot even bring myself to ever complain about that ever again.
In this season of Thanksgiving, the past few weeks I began thinking about what I’m thankful for. Who I’m thankful for. Immediately I thought of the big things: my career, my faith, my family, my friends, etc.
But after I put $79 towards that oil change, I shifted my thankfulness this year.
Not that I’m NOT thankful for the big things. I am. But it’s the things that I complain about day in and day out every day, that I’m especially thankful for this year. Because it’s those things that I don’t realize are the blessings that get me and have gotten me to where I am today.
So today I’m thankful for $79 oil changes. I’m thankful for student loans, because those loans gave me my college education. Skills that I now have today because those loans helped me to pay for college. I’m thankful for those days I’m sick because they force me to slow down and catch my breath from the busyness of life. I’m thankful for speeding tickets because they make me slow down my driving, which could save a life in the end. I’m thankful for annoying construction and traffic because it gives me that chance to really test out my patience and place my trust in God.
One more thing.
I’m thankful for failing. And I fail every day. At so many things. But it’s through those failures and mistakes that I have made, that give me strength. My mistakes have given me peace. And my mistakes allow me to realize more and more every day that it is God who is in control. It is He who knows the outcome of our futures, and He will lead us and guide us if we just allow Him to.
Oh, and I’m also thankful for brunch, wine, and a delicious Thanksgiving meal. But even more so than that, a family that I get to share that with, and people who I don’t deserve who love me day in and day out.
My heart is so full today. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!<3
xoxo
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