A Year of Thanksgiving
A Shared Journey
For about a year now, Peni & I (Andschana) have been posting in a shared note on our phones. Every day we list 3 things we are grateful for.
I first wrote about this last year during our November month of Thanksgiving, I was amazed at the changes I was seeing in my attitude, perspective, and general heart condition. You can go back and read those posts in our Blog history if you like.
This year, we’ve decided to spend the next couple weeks reflecting on our experiences, what God has done with this, and invite you do try it out too.
Today, we offer the reflections from Peni. She’s been doing this longer and was the one who invited me to do it with her. I am incredibly grateful for this experience, and especially for friends, like her, who challenge me to grow in new ways, and have grace when I don’t remember to do it every day.
Reflections from Peni
About a year ago I had a conversation with my friend who was saddened by what seemed to be on every screen of every size. I invited her to join me on a shared note where we would list three things a day that we were grateful to God for. I had been doing this on my own for about a year prior. It changed how I view the world and I thought it might uplift her. She agreed.
Two years have passed and I can say this habit changed my perspective throughout every day. I wake up to the sounds of birds twittering and think “there’s the first one God”. Then I’m working in the yard and a chameleon decides my leg is its new tree. As soon as I dance, jiggle, and squawk it off of me, I praise God that chameleon’s don’t have teeth that can bite me. As I have a lazy evening and reflect on my day; there are so many grateful moments that I make myself pick only a few.
The best thing about sharing our gratefuls is I feel connected to my friend’s life and she mine. I live in Hawaii and she in Colorado. Distance and time zone disparity make it difficult to stay connected like when we lived a few miles from each other. We are honest in our posts so when she is grateful for cold medicine, or a kids x-ray result it guides my prayers of petition. When a kids hard won sports victory or a personal goal is met it guides my prayers of praise. It is a unique bond. I am grateful that she accepted my invitation.
There is so much to be grateful for in a day and once the habit is formed it goes from the superficial to the serious and back again. It is one of the ways I worship my Heavenly Father. The more I do it the more I see His assertion that “it is good”.