thursday thankfulness

It's that time of year again - the gloom and doom season of the church cycle. I don't know why it always surprises me. I should be prepared. We've done this before. It's church budget time.

Every year around this time, I am confronted with the worry that there won't be a job for My Man next year. Maybe there will. Probably there will. But maybe there won't. And usually this brings on a burst of worry and anger, particularly as inevitably the cost of insurance will go up and pay will not. I don't really blame anyone for this. It is what it is. I just wish people would talk about it more openly. But...

This year I'm not as angsty! Maybe I'm growing up after all. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? If he loses his job and we can't sell our house (which would be probable), we could be added to the foreclosure statistics and move back in with my in-laws. Not ideal, maybe. But not life-threatening. That's SOOOO much better than most people in the world have it. We will not be homeless. We will not starve. We have resources beyond a lot of people's dreams. We are RICH.

But sometimes it's difficult to remember this fact. Our 1000 Gifts list hangs in our kitchen but rarely gets written on anymore. In fact, it's The Girl who forces us to write things occasionally. Things like "I learned to ride a bike" and "I get to play the piano in church" and "a nice breeze." In some ways, she is the most angst-ridden of us all. But she is also the most likely to see blessings and know joy. So in the spirit of My Girl, who notices the brightness, here's some of the goodness of today:

• Family who love and support us wholeheartedly, giving to us much more than we give to them.
• Medical insurance. Expensive though it may be, we have it!
• Food in the freezer and refrigerator and pantry.
• Credit cards (I know...Dave Ramsey would be appalled).
• A warm, cozy home with a great yard, for however long we're blessed with it.
• Pandora for me, the musically inept - just let it do the work for me!
• People who love and laugh.
• Changing leaves and weather.
• Wheels.
• A husband who cooks and makes costumes!
• Curls that grow back.
• Bright smiles and numerous hugs.
• The internet.
• Learning with a purpose and just for fun.
• Friendship.
• Jobs with people we like.
• Stories of beauty and goodness and hope (like this one).
• Kindness.

We are rich.  Oh, yes we are!  May we never forget.