Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

“Be thankful for the bad things in life. For they open your eyes to the good things you weren’t paying attention to before.”  I saw this quote on Facebook a few days ago.  The photo it was attached to was of Kermit the Frog leaning against a pillar. I don’t know if this is a quote from Kermit or if whomever posted it just thought it was a good match.

It did make me think. At our community Thanksgiving service last Sunday, my husband spoke about a song called, Forgive Us, Lord, For Shallow Thankfulness, which came from a Missouri Synod Lutheran hymnal. It resonated with me because, probably like many of us, I tend to get excited about things like getting fiber optic internet access, my latest hat or earrings, a big night at work where everything goes smoothly and I actually make money instead of losing it, getting to play the piano with my musical friends, and things like having a whole day to myself when I can hang out in my nightgown and write all day. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but…

I take the really good, important things in my life for granted. Shelter, enough food to fill my stomach, a family that loves me, a husband who is a dear, friends who care about me, my nice, blue PT cruiser and my nicely decorated homes and … how quickly I forget to enjoy  and give thanks for these very precious things.

And when bad things happen or things don’t go the way I’d hoped they would, like most of us, I tend to grumble instead of giving thanks.

If I go one step further and look at the really big picture – I am embarrassed that I don’t feel more gratitude for the most important things – the fact that God loves me and gave His son to die for me, and that He is always by my side, through good times and bad. The fact that I am loved by the Lord Creator, Risen Savior of all is certainly something to be thankful for, yet, so very often, I live my life as though the stone, unrolled, still lay across the door.

When bad things happen, we’re often jolted into realizing what’s really important, and feeling appreciation for what really matters. My husband tells the story of a study about a man who won the lottery and a man who endured a horrible car accident and many months / years of healing and rehabilitation. The study looked at who was happier after ten years, and surprisingly, it was the man who survived the horrific car accident.

I wish you nothing but happiness on this Thanksgiving Day, but the next time your day, week or month is frustrating instead of ideal, and your microwave dies and your glasses break and your blog disappears and won’t post, I hope that we are (I am) able to humbly give thanks with a grateful heart and remember I Thessalonians 5:18 – in ALL circumstances, give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Doors of Dorney, Scotland

I have a confession to make. I’ve never been to Dorney. I’ve been as close as Eilean Donan Castle, but I was in a hurry to get to Fort William, and I never thought to go up into the village. Now, I’m writing a book called Shy Violet, the main characters are living in Dorney, and I’m left wishing I had walked a bit further and scoped out the town with my own two eyes.

That’s the way it is with doors. We choose to walk through them, or we skip on by, oblivious to what might be inside.

I’ve always been fascinated by doors, so when we started exploring Scotland, it came as no surprise that all kinds of unique and intriguing doors caught my eye.

Sometimes, when we get to a door, we’re hesitant to open it. Because doors can lead to places you’d rather not go.

Sometimes, when you see a door, you’re consumed with curiosity about what’s on the other side, and you can’t be happy until you know.

Doors can be a bit daunting – after all, one can never be quite sure what you’ll find when you open them. 

Doors can be portals to a make-believe world.

The sights you see through an open door can make your imagination soar.

Doors can lead you deeper and deeper into a mystery that will take you who knows where.

Doors can lead to an alternate reality – perhaps one from which you will never escape.

Doors can open up to adventures you’ve never even dreamed of.

Doors – and the places they lead to – can inspire overtures and epic poems and all kinds of artistry.

Doors can be common, comforting, familiar and welcoming.

Doors can be austere and foreboding.

Doors can be pretentious affairs.

Doors can be plain and functional.

When a door opens, light floods into the dark corners of you mind and enlightens every last nook and cranny.

When you unlock a door, you never know what secrets you’ll uncover.

When a door shuts behind you, sometimes you wonder if you’ll ever go home.

Sometimes doors are a nice fit. Not too big, not to small.

Although it’s always wise to mind your head.

Sometimes doors dwarf you, and you wonder, who were these doors made for, giants?

Some say that when God closes a door, he opens a window.

But we all know that when a door is closed, you can get left standing outside in the cold.

Next time you go in or out a door, I hope it leads to somewhere you want to be – maybe even Scotland – and that someone you love is waiting on the other side.