Today Is A Gift

I hope that in reading the title of this post you don't skip over it.  I've found out that sometimes the title draws people in and if it seems boring people don't click.  If the title is controversial or intellectually provocative or even rude or annoying people will click.   In fact, the blog post that has the most hits ever in all my 12 years of blogging is one where I simply put the words, "Does this P*** You Off?" and a picture of an angry person at the top and boom ... 6328 hits.  

Anyway, I kinda digressed there.

As I was driving yesterday (I do that a lot) I was overwhelmed with gratitude at the gifts that God has given me.  This is not in the middle of a season in life where everything is perfect...but in the midst of the day to day struggles there are so many amazing gifts packed into every day.   The scenery on my drives in this part of the country is beyond gorgeous.  Every day the sky, the trees, the mountains, the hills, the colors... take my breath away.    I have a husband who, regardless of what he is going through, can always make me laugh and who I love spending time with.   All my grandchildren are gifts.. but it is a special treat to see two of them run towards me when I walk in the door throwing their arms around me.   Their enthusiasm for life and their unreserved love for me are incredible.   My daily needs are always met -- something most people in the world cannot say.  And as I have always been, I am blessed with friendships that transcend boundaries and miles and are deep, meaningful and so much fun.

So when I read an email this morning linking me to this website and the video at the bottom, I watched the whole thing.   The article is about learning the art of gratitude and how important it is for us to teach ourselves to recognize and appreciate the good things in our lives.

If you don't have time to watch the video, at least read these words that are my favorite from the video:

You think this is just another day in your lifeIt’s not just another day ... it’s the one day that is given to you todayIt’s given to you … It’s a giftIt’s the only gift that you have right nowAnd the only appropriate response is gratefulness  If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response to the great gift that this unique day is.... if you learn to respond as if it were the first day in your life and the very last day... then you will have spent this day  very well.

It's #ThankfulThursday.  What do you have to be grateful for?