Finding joy through thanksgiving

I love the Facebook tradition of using the month of Thanksgiving to post a daily public acknowledgement of what we are grateful for, but I only remember to read my Bible because I write it on the wall — literally. So, I don't set myself up for disappointment with such lofty goals.  My memory simply can't keep up!

I did get the opportunity to reflect on gratitude with two challenges from two friends — one who shared this:

Ask God to open your eyes to the many things in your life that speak to His presence. Look for and record evidence of God around you. Today, start a thankful journal listing the many things around you for which you are thankful. It’s amazing, the more we recognize even the smallest things as gifts from God, the more we start to realize how present He is in our lives.

And another who gave me a journal. 

Before I got the journal, I set aside a few moments just to write as much as I could about what I'm thankful for. These are the words that fell to my paper:

What am I thankful for? 

MY MOTHER for choosing life for me when she gave birth to me but fled from her first, unhealthy marriage. 
MY FATHER for loving and choosing me. 
MY SISTERS for putting up with me — the good, the bad and the ugly. 
MY BUMPY ROAD — every ridiculous relationship, all the bad advice and the many failures. For I could never find success if I wasn't brave enough to go out and risk failure by trying.
MY AMAZING HUSBAND who only God could know would perfectly suit me the way he does. 
MY EDUCATION because not all girls are so privileged. How blessed am I to live in a country where I could get a master's degree and not fear my safety while attending even elementary and high school in my community. 
MY CHILDREN who humble, amaze and inspire me every day. They are so unique and full of personality. They challenge me to want more out of life. 
MY CHURCH FAMILY who have truly been there for me, showed up for me, loved me, served me and supported me in countless ways!
MY IN-LAWS who loved me like their own, enveloping me into a family that offers me a second set of parents and more joy and encouragement than I deserve. 
MY AMAZING MIGHTY STRONG GIRLS GIRLFRIENDS who give me a healthy perspective of friendship. They bless me, and I love these women. These ladies are the heart and soul of this ministry, and they are like sisters to me. 
MY SAVIOR who died for me, extends me grace and loves me like no other. God has been the life-changer for me, as I came to understand the gift of Jesus, the reality of faith and the evidence of the Holy Spirit. I only wish I had come to the conclusion that God is real and He loves me much sooner. 

As I reviewed this initial list, it occurred to me it had nothing tangible on it. Nothing I can hold or display in a shadow box. No luxurious house, no cars, no vacations, no career. Nothing in a "black Friday" advertisement. Just relationships. 

I'm relieved. I think I'm starting to figure this thing out. Life isn't a list of "stuff" or even a checklist (bucket list?) of experiences. It's not how many days I've clocked in at a job or the number of digits on a paycheck. It's not what I've done or what I've got. It's people I'm most grateful for. It's relationships that bring me joy. 

I've begun my journal. In my notebook, I plan to record ALL things that bring me joy in the past and present. Those moments, people, smells, experiences, tastes and reminders that fill me with gratitude. 

God's word for me in 2014 is JOY. And not only do I think He wants it for me, I believe He wants me to run after it, to have reckless abandon to pursue it. In the good times and in the bad. Joy comes when I can reflect on the little things, the relationships and the gifts from God that I'm so thankful to have in my life. Joy comes in the stressful moments, too, when I choose to put my mind in a place where it's always looking for what fills me up with thanksgiving.

Will you join me? Grab a small notebook. Carry it everywhere. Write it in. In the good times and in the bad. In the delightful moments and in the dark, painful times. Find the life things to be grateful for....the people, the promises, the smells, sounds, tastes and sights that fill up your heart.