Personal Log 1.13.18

“The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; 

but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, 

as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, 

in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” 

― Henry Ward Beecher

I've been thinking about my Grandma Cooper lately… this May she'll have been gone 3 years & I really, really miss her; she & I were very close. I used to drive up to South Haven to pick her up & bring her back to my folks house for a few days during the Summer & repeat that during the Holidays. During those long drives we'd have the best talks & I wouldn't trade one second of those conversations for anything this world could offer.

My grandma was a very thankful woman but I didn't realize just how thankful she was until I picked her up on the Thanksgiving before her death. I noticed the following words/phrases that weekend:

• thank you for picking me up
• thank you for opening the door for me
• thank you for driving safely
• thank you for walking me to the door
• thank you for filling my glass
• thank you for getting my sweater
• thank you for checking on me
• thank you for making a fire in the fireplace
• thank you for tending the fire
• thank you for driving me back
• thank you for taking me grocery shopping 
• thank you for reaching that on the top shelf
• thank you for putting my groceries away
• thank you for fixing my clock, etc

I finally asked her why she was so thankful all the time:

“I've had a good life, God has blessed me. 

I've done a lot of things on my own but when you get to be my age 

& can't do what you used to, you realize you took those things for granted 

& you become thankful for even the simple acts that people do for you.”

She taught me a great lesson that week, one that I've tried to actively & consistently incorporate into my own life, so now, pretty much every day in my prayer life I'm like:

• thank You for a good night's sleep
• thank You for a place to lay head
• thank You for another day
• thank You for protecting me
• thank You that I walked away from an accident
• thank You I wasn't seriously hurt
• thank You for the healing process
• thank You for the family I have here now 
• for those who've passed on thank You for the time I had w/ them
• thank You that I have all my limbs
• thank You for America (as flawed as it is right now)
• thank You for Your love/grace/mercy

& then really, truly thanking people:

• thank for pastoring
• thank you for leading worship
• thank you for teaching the kids
• thank you for helping
• thank you for doing this
• thank you for heading this up
• thank you for caring/calling/texting
• thank you for checking on that for me
• thank you for inviting me over
• thank you for meeting w/ me
• thank you for serving (military, police officers, teachers, church workers, waiters/waitresses, etc)

There are so many things & so many people to be thankful for; never take anything nor anyone for granted, a thankful life is the best kind of life…

Colossians 4:2 

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”