Faces of Gratitude

"I slept and dreamt life was joy,

I awoke and saw life was service

I acted and behold service was joy"

                     Rabindranath Tagore

I drive away from the Red Cross shelter I call church-home. Leaving after a couple of hours washing dirty towels, wiping the wet from iced down water bottles, giving some directions and others just a smile. A little boy looks up at me with eyes red, wet from tears and I wonder if he was part of the family who saw their house burning to the ground on the news.

A sea of faces of gratitude for shelter, food, kind words. It causes me to recount the many faces in Tuxtla-Gutierrez Chiapas where I shared God's love on a medical/dental mission trip. 

After cleaning teeth that had never been cleaned before, (some not even having toothbrushes), they would put their hands on my shoulders, with mouths still bloody and in pain, and kiss my cheek. Gratitude to me, my gratitude to God -- always pointing to the One all gratefulness should be directed to.
His Grace, the most undeserved transaction we will ever receive. The natural response to Grace should be gratitude.

The faces of gratitude.

Coming home from the shelter, I walk through the back door and look around at the food still on the counter from making lunches earlier in the morning. The kitchen sink full of breakfast dishes.

I give thanks with a sigh, another opportunity to serve God with hands and heart.

And be grateful.

Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Romans 12:11

Hands To Help

Fires burn with angry rage in the small city just next to us. People are crying out for help as they watch their homes go up in flames."Pray for rain" reads signs in front of churches and businesses. Radio stations are asking everyone to pray for rain. Even the news reporter says it.

Our smallness becomes as evident as God's bigness when we have no control.  

I want to help, feel the nudge to help, somehow. I make some calls to feed the firefighters, send a mass e-mail enlisting others. The blessing I received came from the other end of the phone, "We have all the volunteers we need right now".

Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. Isaiah 58:10

When we reflect the light that has been placed in us, we make the invisible God visible. 

So I pray, that my one voice could cause all of heaven to open up with dark heavy-with-rain clouds bursting onto the parched land.

Serving through hands folded and knees bent or hands reached ready to give, brings joy. Joy that comes not in the having but in the giving. There is a mysterious, miraculous occurrence when we give our lives away for others. 

Christ as our example, we are called to be servants. He removes His towel to wash and wipe feet, mere breaths away from being arrested. Still the servant.

To bless out of our blessings is to give "thanks" away, causing God to be visible to others.

Praising Him

Father, I lift your name high in praise and adoration. Magnificent are you, Lord, there are no boundaries to your greatness. All that you have created blesses your holy name. Your trademark on all your work is love. You are higher than anything and anyone, out shining everything I can see in the skies.

Your sunrise always breaks through my darkness. My heart is ready my spirit firm trusting in you.

Your generosity never runs dry.

My blessings are not for my sake, but for your name be the glory. On account of your merciful love and faithful ways, I am blessed and I can bless.

I Can Bless

Morning breaks with record breaking heat. The unending drought is causing 100 year old oaks to die too soon. Leaves turning colors then falling from the dead trees still standing. Drought infects the heart as well, unending worry can become the master if allowed. To shift from the stronghold of worry, I focus on my blessings. From self-focus to God-focus, I ask Him to let me be a blessing to someone today. But who? The day ahead is filled with the mundane and necessary; cleaning, laundry, in-house business. I walk my golden retriever, feeling like I'm not making a difference. My thoughts shift to my son and daughter who are on the threshold of adulthood spreading their independent wings. More of them, less of me. Putting away folded clothes, I pass by the printer, a small stack of paper lying on top. I turn it over to find my son's project he had been working on for weeks. I wait for the call. The phone rings and a whisper of a voice that is not allowed to have his phone on in school speaks. In a desperate plea he asks the question, "Mom, please will you do this for me?". Without hesitation I give thanks for being at home, being there for my young man who is spreading his wings but still needs this Momma Bird.
The gratitude that pours out of my life can never measure the grace that flows into it.
I am blessed and I can bless.


“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself in which to set her young, near your altar, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God.” Psalm 84:3

Capturing the Moment

With a click of my camera, I capture the blessings of the simple.

Warm baths.

Naps.

Sun casting shadows, and sunflowers.

Releasing to Receive

Welcoming the morning still dark, my son leans in and gives a head butt, an expression of love. He is off to band camp and I am off to preparing a birthday dinner. 

Heaping pile of chicken spaghetti with a side of garlic bread. Double decker vanilla cake patched together with layers of chocolate icing. My daughter decorates with banners, blowers, and poppers. Silliness, joy and laughter fill the room. Living in the spirit of contentment. Gifts are given but the real gift is each other. I look around the room studying each face freeze framing the beauty of the ever changing. I take pictures and they laugh at me, but I never want to forget true beauty and simple joy of time with each other. To live simply is to not live in expectation but to be joy-filled. It's the fullness of simple. 

It's easy to freely give thanks and count my joy gifts in moments of laughter. But as quickly as laughter comes and goes, so does the attitude of joy.

It's 6:30 in the morning. Son frustrated because he can't find his shoes, accidently breaks a three foot vase on the porch. I hear the crashing sound of pottery to tile. "This is not a good way to start the day.” I mutter under by breath. My hand tightens in clenched stress. Rejoice in the Lord always-- Philippians 4:4.  If I have no joy, it is because that is what I choose. Giving thanks is an action where the feeling of joy always begins. So if in my frustration I give thanks, I open the tight fisted hand to receive.

Son apologizes for breaking the vase.

"It's okay”, I say. "I never liked that vase anyway."


 Naming my joys continues.
51. Cake
52. Another birthday
53. Releasing clenched hands to receive.

Soul Gazer

What is the cure for a bemoaning attitude? A thankful eye. How I look at life determines how I live.
On the back porch with dogs at feet, my studly Golden Retriever spots a squirrel running along the fence. Jumping to his feet, he runs as fast as his legs will allow, barking his fiercest bark. The squirrel only slows long enough to give him the hope that he can catch it. It's a tease, dangling squirrel tail, twitching. Goldie paces with eye on the prize just out of reach, missing the real joy of the chase.  
I'm not so different than my goldie. Isn't my day the chase? Always having my eye on that which is just out of reach, missing the joy of the moment.
To see but never perceive, eyes dull, missing the gift in the day. Isaiah says healing begins when we see with our eyes. (Is. 6:10) Soul gazer, the inner eye. Moses saw Him who was invisible and he persevered. That's faith, seeing with the soul. I want to see with the eyes of my soul instead of the eyes of my flesh, to view life from a heavenly perspective instead of earthly perspective. Being a soul gazer is to see deeply.


My joy list continues.
37. Porch fan blowing hot August air.
38. Goldie acting youthful.
39. Rocker on porch.