A lesson (re) learned in thankfulness . . . and some fall photos :)

I was driving back from our library's "story time," finishing off my coconut flavored coffee from Dunkin Donuts (seriously so so good) since I had just met a friend there beforehand, and I was having a moment.  An ungrateful moment to be exact.  I was thinking about how all I wanted to do was sit at a coffee shop and read all day long.  I was tired and already dreading the afternoon because it was too cold to go outside and I didn't want to go stir crazy inside with Jake.

{please note this was an empty coffee cup :) No caffeine needed for our little man}



That's when I came to a stop at a light and glanced out my window.  And saw another mom.  She was sitting outside the laundromat and was holding a baby that looked to be about 6 months old.  The baby was all bundled up and you could tell the mom was trying her best to keep her baby entertained as she waited for their laundry to finish.  She was bouncing her on her knee and smiling.  Then I saw her glance at her watch and continue to bounce her baby. 

 

I kid you not I almost burst into tears.  Here I am, a warm drink in one hand, a content toddler in the back seat, in our warm car, on our way back to our warm house, and there is this other mom outside in the cold with her little baby waiting for her laundry to get done.  All I have on my to do list for the rest of the day is play with my son.  I do not have cart Jake back in the car after his nap, with all of our laundry, to go to the laundromat to clean our clothes because in the comfort of my own home I have a washer and dryer and can do that whenever I want.

Perspective.  That's really all it is.  We have a choice every day to dwell on things that are lovely and honorable and worthy of praise, or we can dwell on our "if only's" and selfish desires which will only lead to discontentment.



I know what some of you may be thinking.  It's easy for any mom to become drained doing the monotonous tasks day in and day out.  It's understandable that we all struggle with those things at certain times and it's not awful to have a moment where you feel frustrated and beat down.  But to stay there, in that type of thinking, is what causes bitterness and a life full of disorder and not peace.  A thankful heart can totally, 100% change not only my thought life but also my actions.  I wouldn't be so frustrated doing the dishes if while I washed them I dwelt on the fact that these dirty dishes meant I had food on the table.  And the clothes I'm folding means I have clothes to wear.  And the bed I'm making meant that I had a warm place to sleep last night. 

Although I went through a whole book on thankfulness a while back, it is still something I think about often and am continually trying to cultivate a grateful heart.  That is partially why I wanted Jake's "verse" to be 1 Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with your whole heart, for consider what great things He has done for you."  God loves us immensely and has blessed us immensely.  I just need to open my eyes and spend time considering all the wonderful things He has done for me.