Gratitude comes from realizing what you have is actually what you want and need. I tell my kids all the time we have so much to be grateful for: a warm house, good food to eat, each other. But like a prayer memorized, I can sometimes lose the meaning and power behind those words and everyday gratitude.
Sometimes real gratitude appears when tragedy happens. We hug our kids tighter or watch them sleep a little longer. Sometimes gratitude comes to the surface when we see a friend or neighbor walk through something hard. Those are good wake up calls and resets: worthy times to be grateful. I think it’s also worthwhile and powerful to find gratitude in the everyday. It’s powerful to find a few seconds each day to be grateful for a small or big thing. It’s worthy to watch our kids sleep a little longer or hug our spouse a little tighter even when nothing traumatic has happened.
Everyday Gratitude
Everyday gratitude isn’t fancy or Instagram worthy or something exciting we share with our friends. But it’s a worthy pursuit. It’s looking around at our messy, chaotic, beautiful lives and finding that what we want and need is right in front of us. Everyday gratitude requires intentionality because most people aren’t thankful for the dirty dishes in the sink or the mountain of laundry on the floor or the hard relationships.
Being grateful for our messy lives doesn’t take a lot of time, but it does take thought and on-purpose living to go from complaining to gratefulness. The reason I know this is because there are days and moments I’ve been ungrateful or haven’t practiced everyday gratitude. Many moments. And from experience, it’s not a great place to be. I’ve grumbled about the dirty dishes and the laundry and the hard relationships: sometimes in my head and sometimes to anyone who will listen. And it usually doesn’t make me feel any better. But gratitude does.
I have a lot to be grateful for and I’m sure you do, too. My husband, our kids, the roof that keeps the rain and snow out, the yard and land where my kids run and play, friends and family who love me, a Jesus loving community, food and clothes and transportation. And so much more like walks and yummy coffee drinks and curbside pick up. When I practice everyday gratitude (and trust me, I don’t practice it everyday), my attitude is positive and loving, my perspective is kinder, and my actions reflect those things.
My world and sphere of influence is much brighter when I practice Everyday Gratitude. My attitude, perspective, and actions point to Jesus, the giver of all I have to be grateful for. That’s the way I want to live.
Tell me: How do you practice Everyday Gratitude?