A few years ago I read this quote and it struck me to my core. (I love finding reasons to use that phrase-haha).
At that time my kids were younger (like 2 years younger-ha) and I decided it was important to “teach” them this quote instead of just “telling” them this quote as they grew up.
So, every night during bedtime, as we close out our prayer, I say “what do we want to thank Jesus for?”
Now with a 6, 4, and 2 year old, these answers can be all over the place. And I love it–it’s my favorite part of bedtime! Somedays the answers are as simple as our house and food, other days it’s for an event that happened, or a toy.
My 6 year old struggles with this right now. Some days he’s quite moody (like his momma) and wants to tell me…”I’m not thankful for anything”…so those are the days we go back to the basics, like… “well let’s just be thankful for our clothes or our blanket.” After that, he can usually agree to find SOMETHING to be thankful for.
The baby. Well right now, he’s in a stage where he LOVES lawn mowers. So every night he is thankful for our lawn mower and his lawn mower and his new toy lawn mower. It’s a whole lawn mower thing…or as he says it: “lawn mow”
And lastly, my girl. She is genuinely thankful for something Every. Single. Night. And I love it! So today, she went shopping with her YaYa (our family name for grandma) and they bought some school supplies. At bedtime, as I’m trying to tuck her in and she’s literally climbing off the side of the bed, away from me, I ask the famous question…”Renlee, What are you thankful for?” She says…her backpack and lunch box and vacation, because then she gets to go to school.
Melt my heart.
So folks be thankful. For a backpack (or purse). Or maybe your lawn mower. Or maybe you’re just having a terrible day…and I totally get that! However, if you look around your home/life/people and something that’s there today went missing tomorrow, what would make you most upset? That is what you’re thankful for!
Me–well I’m thankful for Mountain Dew (yep. You read that right! For “Dew”…I’m on a break from coke! #whoami
Jennifer R Salveson 