Is it just the big and lofty things? The things that sound more important?
When toddlers teach adults, we big and lofty people learn that the things worth being thankful for are the everthings...
And each morning as we scribble our thanks on silly cut-out turkey feathers, the toddlers always say the same.
"Jack and Ava, what are you thankful for? What would you like to thank God for?"
"Tankful for Mommy! Daddy!"
"For Jack!"
"For Nanna........for Uncle Isaac......for Gramma Cinny......for Poppa......for Grandma Jeff."
And every morning I learn that the things to first be thankful for are not the things that can be bought but instead the people around us.
"Jack and Ava, all those people are already on the turkey. What else are you thankful for?"
And what comes next? What comes after people? Our large house? Our vehicles? All our stuff?
No. It's the little things. The everythings. The things that don't seem worthy of a silly cut-out turkey feather. What do those tots do when I ask them again? They look around them. They look to their right and their left and say their thanks for what is right here, right now.
"Syrup."
"Milk."
"Paper."
They haven't learned yet that the world is looking for a loftier response. After all, daddy earned money to buy those things, right? Why would we waste morning thanks on little things that can be bought with a few dollars?
In their unknowing, they teach. All these little things are gifts too....things we don't deserve. Because where did Daddy get the money to buy these things? From his job. And where did Daddy get the job that fits him like a glove? Was it just coincidence that made the friend call from Baghdad, which made Daddy look online, which made him stumble across the opening for a tool business....here....where we already live? No, not coincidence, but providence.
And when the job itself comes from God's hand, don't all the things that result from the job come from God's hand, too?
And I learn. While the lofty things are still worth my thanks - of course they are - I loose sight of the gift in the everything when I go looking only for the lofty.
So I look to my right and my left and impress upon my heart thankfulness for all that is here. And while I know to not only be thankful for the "things," the tangible, I learn that these simple things around me are evidence of grace and blessing.
Today, on my journey to 1000 , I'm thanking God for the little things around me, the things that I could easily take for granted. And I'm linking up to A Holy Experience with all the others.
#41. my Chef's knife, it only adds to the joy of cooking
#42. my camera...even though it took really noisy pictures for today's post (only because I pushed the ISO limits)
#43. this computer
#44. every.single.dish. on the counter waiting to be washed
#45. the coffee maker, we're good friends
#46. our dining room table
#47. those dish towels, loving hand decorated by thoughtful elderly family members
#48. the living room furniture
#49. grapefruit...it's the bright spot in every winter
#50. lotion for these dry hands
5 comments:
one of my favorite posts of yours! love this one!! kids can teach us a lot more than we give them credit for sometimes. they can even teach us the names of tractors and how they are put together! i am amazed by kids!!
Love this post. Sometimes I learn more from my children than what I teach them.
Good lesson. :)
I love this one too. Beautiful. I love the innocence of little lives. Helps us to keep it all in perspective.
I love the little things! The perspective of kids is really something.
At that size, those photos don't look noisy at all. And anyway, a little grain isn't necessarily a bad thing.
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