Tiny Treasures

A lot of people on Facebook post “thankful” statuses during the month of November.  I like to read them because their posts remind me of the many things for which I am thankful.  There are too many to list; but it got me thinking about the whole concept of thankfulness. 

To be thankful means to feel or show an appreciation for someone or something that has been bestowed upon us.  It’s indicative of receiving a blessing and expressing gratitude. 

There are people who actually feel they have nothing for which to be thankful, but I don’t believe this is the case.  If we look at each moment in our lives… I mean, really get close and look…we’ll find tiny treasures we have missed.  A smile.  Laughter.  A hug.  An act of kindness from a stranger that went seemingly unnoticed. 

I think we are often times so hurried and harried that we miss some of life’s simplest blessings.  There are mornings when I am flying around my kitchen trying to make breakfast, make lunches, fill water bottles, get backpacks ready and get the kids off to school, and it isn’t until they are gone that I realize I didn’t even make eye contact with them.  They talked and I nodded a hurried “uh-huh” or “okay,” but I didn’t really engage in the conversation or connect with them.  Their smiles light up my heart in a way nothing else can, and when I get too busy I miss out on that simple morning blessing.  It was there, but I didn’t see it.  I’m making a point to never miss out on that blessing again.

Nothing in this world matters more than the people God has placed in our lives.  Oh, sure, sometimes they can make us want to pull out our hair, but that’s just a part of love.  Sometimes we make them want to pull out their hair as well.  I believe God hand selects those that will cross our paths, for reasons we may or may not know; but important nonetheless.  Our job may be to influence them and their job may be to change us…either way, it is the act of journeying together that matters most. 

Each morning when I awake I thank God for another day and then I quickly give the day back to Him because if I hold onto it I’m bound to screw it up.  He has to hold it for me, in the safety of His hands and guided by His wisdom, not my lack of it.  Then, I thank Him for all of the people for whom He has brought into my life and blessed me.  I pray that I will not miss the tiny, treasurable moments of seeing their smiles, sharing their laughter and giving tight hugs.  These blessings are what fill me.  They are what make everything else in life bearable.  

During this month, I am striving to treasure every tender moment… to tuck it into my heart and let it sprout roots of joy.  ~