Thankful Reset

Photo by By woodleywonderworks

“Come on we are going to be late if we don’t leave right now!” I yelled as I opened the door to greet the 29 degree morning chill. Looking around the corner I watched as my teenage son cocked his chin left, then right; checking himself in the mirror.

‘Brrr,” he shivered as I rummaged through my purse for the keys.

“Gotta love Washington when it’s grey and a balmy 2o degrees.”

“Paradise, Mom- Washington is paradise.” He teased as he slid into the seat next to me and slammed the car door the way he always does, too hard.

I turned the key. Click.

“What?”

A red battery with an X through the middle flashed on the dashboard.

Turning the key again the car responded with a whimper.

“Well, I guess I AM going to be late.” My son laughed as if encouraged.

“Do NOT BE HAPPY right now- Don’t” I commanded.

I don’t know about you, but I was weaned on the idea that being thankful, giving thanks was the result of something good happening to me.

I mean ‘bless me’ and I will sing your praises to high heaven, God. But this notion that thankfulness is a choice, the idea that when all hell is breaking loose I can greet it with thankfulness seems rather sadistic or at least insane to me, well it use to.

So let’s get this straight, I am not Saint Pam. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Before my thankful reset my normal response to bad stuff was to yell, scream or poke someones eyes out. But thankfully my eye poking, raving, jumping up and down like a blubbering idiot for days, weeks, years and decades did not disqualify me from God’s love or patience.

Over time, well I’m ancient so it’s really been QUITE, some time and let’s be honest, there’s been A LOT of pain too, I reset my thankful button.

I’m thankful I’ve had a thankful reset because the people in my life, well they really do deserve to keep their eyes…

More and more I’m learning to embrace every moment, every circumstance; the shitty one’s as well as the good ones with a spirit of thankfulness.

Yep, the dead battery, the dead relationship, the sickness, the upset client, the angry teenager, the grey Washington skies, the bathroom scale, the lines around my eyes (okay wrinkles), the balance in my savings account are all moments where I am practicing thankfulness. Okay sometimes I still rant…

Being thankful is a practice. I’m practicing being thankful that I’m alive to experience it, whatever it is in the moment that greets me; dead batteries, car slamming teenagers and crows feet on my face…

Thankful First. Beginning, choosing an attitude of thankfulness; this is the thankful reset.

Regardless. In spite. Before I begin my day, my moment I choose thankfulness.

I’ve reset my heart and my life to thankful. Thank you. Thank God.

Pam Hoelzle

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“…but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.” Phil 4:6