A Thankful Journal

Photo credit: Junlong Lin

I was having a "Why did I get out of bed this morning???" day. I have 1 month until my National Conference. I'm being pulled in several directions. I have to attend a meeting in Chicago at the end of the month and then take a family trip to Disney on July 1st. In addition, my son will be spending a week at a University and his last day coincides with our trip to Orlando! I was completely overwhelmed. Then I got a call that my mum was being taken to the emergency room. At that very moment, I paused and just like that 'thankful' journal came to mind. I once kept a 'thankful' journal. I grabbed my pen and began to write things I was thankful for today.

1. That I awoke and had the capacity to face today's challenges.
2. That my teenagers were at home when my mom fell ill.
3. I'm grateful to my husband who rushed home and took my mom to the hospital.
4. I'm grateful that he didn't call me. I couldn't deal with it then, especially since my 6yo was in the hospital Friday with a 105 degree temperature. 
5. I'm thankful that he is doing well.
6. Thankful that my sister called me with a calm tone.
7. I'm thankful that I work for a company that understands my family comes first. 
8. That my friend Marsha called me at the right time.
9. I'm grateful that the speakers for the conference are sending in their CVs and other documents with rapid fire.
10. That I was obedient when the thought popped into my mind about a gratitude list.

Now I understand the importance of keeping a 'thankful' journal. It's for days like these. Days when you feel like you're being buried alive and everyone is standing around looking at the dirt cover you. Days when you can't even pray for yourself. Days when all you want to do is cry and rest your head in your mummy's lap for comfort. Except, this time my mummy isn't feeling well. If she's up to it, when she gets home, I'll sit with her and document what she's thankful for.

A wonderful feeling came over me as I documented my gratitude list. Now that I'm calm, I can pray for my mother. I am able to place my workload in perspective and work through my 'to do list'. Remember, if you have days like I do sometimes, grab a pen and paper and document the things you are grateful for at that given moment. You'll feel better and you'll think clearer. I'm going to attempt to maintain my journal, but if I don't, I pray that the voice inside reminds me to jot down my gratitude list. Be thankful, be prayerful, be obedient and embrace your journey!