Recently I posted this picture:
It’s a great motto, a good goal, words to live by!
Sometimes it is a journey to get there when everything seems to be going wrong…
The printer has not been printing.
Important e-mails I sent were not received.
A book I wanted to download to review would not download.
The cake I lovingly made fell and was lop-sided…
and the ganache I made to cover it up did not set…
this just before I had 10 people (including ourselves) for a birthday dinner, oh yes, on this very day, our sink clogged. Royally.
We ate the cake anyway. (My guests – dear family – were gracious)
The plumber is finally here.
The cut I received on my hand from hand-washing is minor.
I had enough paper plates to serve dinner.
I was able to get my printer to print.
The book finally downloaded after much trouble shooting.
All first world problems!!
So very minor compared to the heartache I have witnessed just this week, in my work as a chaplain at the hospital.
Our crazy lives can exhaust us however. The things we own demand care and attention. It takes time (and often money) to fix things.
Gratefulness is a journey at times, we don’t always get there quickly. I desire to choose it, to live a grateful life.
I am grateful for computers and printers and e-mails, and all the technology we depend on. When they don’t work, there is frustration, but I recognize the wonderful privilege we have to connect, to work, this is a gift I can too easily take for granted. Hey, it’s amazing I type these words and voila, they are on the world wide web!
I’m so grateful for water! This is such a privilege… we don’t think about it often as we turn on our faucets and wash and clean and gather, and often don’t think of waste. The water runs down the drain, and we don’t think twice about where that water goes. This is a good lesson for me, one I need to reminded of again – that I need to be careful with water consumption. Clean and accessible water is a gift and a privilege.
Lopsided cakes and chocolate remind me of luxury. While I think of chocolate as one of the food groups, my grandparents saw it as something rare and precious – a treat indeed! We are blessed with abundance, with variety and choices and delitable treats that are easily accessible.
When I think of those in need, both those in my back yard and city, and those who live in impoverished countries, I am aware that I am wealthy, and indulged. Does my awareness and gratefulness spur me to action?
Yes, it’s been a challenging couple of days, but I’m getting there. To gratefulness that is. We are privileged indeed.
