a day of gratitude… 22.September.2008

(8) for the crumbs on the floor — remnants of meals shared with blood family and God’s family.

(9) For the delight emanating from Isaiah’s face when he hears the garage door at 6.15 p.m.:  “Daddy?”  Yes, I nod, and he dashes to the door.

(10) For learning to knit (again), for the soft comfort of yarn slipping through my fingers, for the gentle instruction of my mother,

(11) for the honest words of a good friend.  He taught me of love and of grace.

(12) For the bounty of home-grown produce from Kansas — peppers, apples, tomatoes, eggs, beef, more apples, beans, apricots, salsa, onions, potatoes, pears, watermelon!  Oh, edible joy!

(13) For the contemplative atmosphere of sweeping and scrubbing the floor,

(14) for the persistence of grace, which breaks through my cloudy thoughts and brings me to daylight.

day two (in which beans bite me in the butt) 3.September.2008

This morning, I spent only $52 on groceries for the week, and that includes a meal for guests on Sunday.  Last night, I had soaked dry pinto beans in water, so I could boil them this morning.  It’s cheaper that way.  I planned my four morning errands, feeling confident and completely on target with all of my goals.

I forgot I was a catastrophe waiting to happen.

My beans were done cooking at 8.45 this morning.  That is the time I left home with Isaiah to go get the tires rotated and balanced.  After hitting the library and two grocery stores (where an unearthly wind flung the car door against my legs whenever I would try to get Isaiah out of his carseat), we went home.  I remember thinking it smelled funny in the garage.  And then I remembered the beans.  Oh, the beans.  They only cooked an extra three hours.

My frugality slapped me in the face.  You don’t understand how much chocolate cake I want to eat right now.

But in the spirit of gratitude, I must say I am thankful for (7) the chilly wind gusting through our house right now.  It has earned my forgiveness.

in pursuit of gratitude 13.August.2008

I woke up angry.  Or I arrived there quickly.  Isaiah was standing beside our bed a few minutes before six, saying, “More milk?”  We give him what he wants at that hour — fill his little cup and tuck him back in bed with his blankets.

In minutes, he was back by my bedside.  He wanted to go night-night with mommy.  Figuring it was the only remaining chance to get him to go back to sleep, I pulled him up beside me.

He didn’t go back to sleep.  He tossed and turned, drank his milk, touched my face with his hands and then his feet.  “Stop,” I barked at him.  He smiled at me in return.  Things were not going well.

At seven I gave up, angry.  Angry that I could not have my quiet time with God this morning.  Angry that Isaiah would probably be grumpy later on in the day because of his shortage of sleep.  Angry because as hard as I try to get up earlier in the mornings, Isaiah keeps getting up earlier, too.  Angry because I felt like God owed me a few minutes of solitude and preparation time before having to face the day.

These words from Ann’s blog, A Holy Experience, greeted me as I checked my blog feeds this morning:

“Give up
the bitterness, the anger, the sadness

for what isn’t,
that you wish you had.

And embrace the gift of what you do have.

For therein

is really what you want more of:

Joy.”

-Elizabeth Elliot

My heart sunk with remorse at my anger.  What would have been my most convincing argument toward God — God, I won’t even be able to meet with You alone this morning! — was crushed in the realization that God had not allowed Isaiah to go back to sleep.  What I had was a happy boy, an awake boy, ready to greet the day.  And I could not even be thankful for his health and his happiness and the night of rest God had already granted me.  Instead, I propped up my worthy idols and asked God to worship them.

Today, I am going to join the Gratitude Community and start making my own list of One Thousand Gifts.  I’ve loved reading other bloggers’ lists of gifts from God, but I’ve resisted starting my own list because (sigh) I like to be original and different and not give in to the trends of the blogosphere.  But I give in.  Because my gratitude is worth nursing more than my pride.  I released my idols this morning and stepped into the day with my little Isaiah.  I took him to the park, and in my head, I began to form a list…

1. 73 degrees at 9 a.m.  Ah, sweet relief from the heat wave!  The soft warmth of sunlight on my face, and the morning air rushing over my face…

2. My little boy in pursuit of friendship.  His little hand cupped inside an older child’s…

3. The delight that splashes across his face in watching a black lab…

4.  The familiar faces of women in my neighborhood.  Their presence convinces me I am not a stranger here.

5. The bread dough on my stove, slowly, slowly rising…

6. The anticipation of seeing my husband tonight…